Paulette Hayes Colley

     Paulette Hayes Colley, 80, of Valley, Alabama, passed away peacefully Saturday, March 7, 2026, at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, surrounded by family and friends.

     Paulette was born October 6, 1945, in West Point, Georgia, to the late Sherrad Clyde Hayes and Ruth Ray Hayes. She graduated from Valley High School in 1964 and later continued her education at Southern Union State Community College. Spending her career in medical administration, she first worked in a local physician’s office before serving 17 years with the Chambers County Health Department. Later, she joined the newly formed staff of Chattahoochee Hospice in Valley, where she worked from 1989 until her retirement in 2011.

     Paulette was known for her kind heart and warm smile. She had a way of making people feel comfortable, with friends and strangers alike opening up to her with their stories and concerns. Her warmth drew people in, and she was a steady presence to those who knew and loved her.

     Paulette loved her family deeply. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard, in 1963, and they shared 52 years of marriage until his passing in 2016. She took great joy in her children and grandchildren and treasured the time spent together. Holidays were her favorite time of year, and her home was the hub of activity. She delighted in decorating and creating warm, welcoming celebrations for her family — especially at Christmas, when her well-known Santa collection filled every corner of her home.

     Paulette was also a talented seamstress who lovingly created dresses, christening gowns, and special outfits for her children and grandchildren through the years. She had a natural gift for crafting and found great joy in sharing that gift with others, often spending time creating alongside family and friends or giving away her handmade treasures. Paulette also had a deep interest in genealogy and spent many hours researching and preserving her family’s history, ensuring those stories would be remembered. She was an animal lover as well, and throughout her life cherished many pets—especially her Yorkies, who brought her much happiness.

     Above all, Paulette served her God by serving others. For many years she lovingly cared for ailing parents, extended family members, and her husband. She gave of herself quietly and faithfully, placing the needs of others before her own. Her life was a testament to sacrificial love and devotion.

     She was preceded in death by her parents, Sherrad and Ruth Hayes, her husband, Richard Colley, and her sister, Sherralyn Hayes.

     Paulette is lovingly survived by her children, Richard Colley, Jr. (Suzy) and DeAnna Harris (Jason); her beloved grandchildren, Trey Colley (Christina), Emily Nichols (Baylor), Clay Colley (Mia), Sarah Green (Deacon), Bekah Harris (Will), and Caroline Harris; her great-grandchildren, Hayes, Brooks, and Elowyn (arriving this summer); her brother, Sherrad “Buddy” Hayes, Jr.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

     A funeral service celebrating Paulette’s life will be held at Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home Chapel in Valley, Alabama, on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 11:00 AM EST with burial following at Shawmut Cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00 AM until the service hour. Pastor Mark McGee will officiate.

     In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Chattahoochee Hospice, Valley, Alabama, or a hospice organization serving their community. Paulette’s warmth, generosity, and unwavering love for her family will live on in the many lives she touched.

     Please visit Paulette's Memorial tribute page at www.johnsonbrownservicefh.com to leave a kind word for her family, to share a memory of Paulette, or to light a Remembrance Candle in her memory.

     Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valey directing.

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