Paula Kagan, avid doll collector, passed away from cancer on Thursday November 17th, at the age of 82. Paula was a familiar face at many doll conventions – Tonner, Paris, MetroDolls, Modern Doll, IDEX and more. She organized many of the special exhibits at Tonner conventions, frequently lending dolls from her own impressive collection.
In addition to doll collecting, Paula was extremely talented at needlework, knitting and jewelry making. She taught beading classes at a local shop in Maine and frequently gave friends exquisite jewelry pieces that she “whipped up” in her spare time, like this one:
Paula also had an extensive collection of Judith Leiber animal shaped purses, and brought many to the various functions she attended. Here is an example of Leiber’s work:
A lot of people remember Paula bidding (and often winning) at charity doll auctions, including those at Tonner doll conventions. She supported many charities, especially those helping animals and healthcare. She also donated some of her creations to the auctions, including this knitted beaded gown from the 2010 MetroDolls auction:
Paula’s obituary from the Bangor Daily News is here. If you would like to make a donation in her name, please donate to: Eastern Maine Healthcare Charities, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04402-0931. They can be found online here.
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Many thanks to Marcia Friend (of Facets by Marcia), for writing the lovely tribute above.
Hearing of Paula’s passing … what can I say. I will miss her beautiful smile and so much more. I feel privileged to have known her. Tonner events won’t be the same without her.
Thank you for the lovely tribute to my mother, Paula Kagan. She was indeed extremely talented and created beauty throughout her life with yarn, beads, cloth, leather, flowers and much, much more. When my daughter was a very little girl, my mom stood in a long line at K-Mart to buy one of the very-hard-to-get at the time Cabbage Patch dolls, and then outfitted the doll with a footlocker full of clothes, with many matching pieces for my daughter!
Again, thank you for your kind words and warm thoughts—Nikki Kagan
You are very welcome! My condolences to you and the family. I am very happy to have known her. I got to sit with her at a Tonner convention and it was a very nice time.