Paula Jeanne LeDoux passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Nambé New Mexico on April 13th, 2026 after losing a hard fought battle to Triple Negative Metaplastic Breast Cancer.
Paula was born April 4th, 1962 in Boston Massachusetts and was adopted by Merrill and Joan Kluhsman. Being the daughter of a Pastor in the Lutheran Missouri Synod Church, she spent her childhood in many locations across the United States, including Massachusetts, Nebraska, Texas, Missouri, and Kansas,as well as New Mexico. She graduated from Paola High School in Paola Kansas in 1980. She went on to earn her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Pittsburgh State University in Pittsburgh Kansas in 1984.
Shortly after College she moved to Albuquerque New Mexico to be closer to her Mother and Father who had moved there to start a Church in Cedar Crest New Mexico. She held several positions at Kirtland Air Force Base, including managing the commissary. Here is where she met her husband Mark LeDoux. They were married in 1986 in Cedar Crest NM. While living in Albuquerque she gave birth to her first son Samuel in 1991.
In 1994 she moved to Española New Mexico where she worked as the administrative assistant for the Los Alamos County Fire Department, Fire Chief. She gave birth to her second son Nicholas LeDoux in 1995 in Los Alamos NM.
Paula decided to pursue her passion for helping people and enrolled in the nursing program at Northern New Mexico Community College where she graduated in 1999. After obtaining her RN license, she became a School nurse at James H. Rodriguez Elementary School (Española) and Los Ninos Kindergarten to be close to her children and watch them grow up.
Paula would move to her final home in Nambé, New Mexico in 2004. Upon moving she transferred school districts from Española to Pojoaque and served the students at Pablo Roybal Elementary School and Pojoaque Intermediate School for several years. When her children had graduated from Pojoaque she transferred back to Española where she would return to James H. Rodriguez and Los Ninos, in the final years of her career she then served the students of Tony E. Quintana Elementary in Sombrillo and Chimayo Elementary. Paula retired from the Española Public School District on May 17, 2024 after serving students of the Pojoaque and Española Valleys for 25 years.
Aside from her passion for helping the children of northern NM, Paula was a dedicated mother who did everything she could to help her sons Samuel and Nicholas. Following her retirement Paula continued her love of helping children by tutoring elementary students from the Espanola School District. In her spare time, she loved travelling, enjoying the cuisine of local restaurants, spending time reading, doing arts and crafts and spending time with her family and friends. She was also an active member of a local book club and made many diamond paintings for her friends and family. Some of her favorite activities were decorating her house and taking care of her dogs.
Paula was an avid dog lover, having many throughout her life, including her American Eskimos Vanna and Nakitta, her Labrador Retrievers Sarah, Sugar, and Ed and her beloved Chihuahuas Sandy, Bella, Sophie, and Red Daisy. During her brief time in Dixon she helped breed a litter of Labrador Retrievers who were given to close friends and family, all of whom lived great lives.
Paula learned to love football and became a huge fan of her hometown team growing up the Kansas City Chiefs. She was a passionate fan of the Pojoaque Elks when her son Nicholas played for various sports teams while he attended the Pojoaque Valley Schools. She also made sure to attend as many New Mexico State University Football games that she could when Nicholas played for the Aggies. In her final years she became a fan of the Española Valley Sundevils football team when her husband Mark became an assistant coach and she volunteered to help them anyway she could.
Paula was diagnosed with an extremely rare version of Triple Negative Metaplastic Breast Cancer in 2025, despite her diagnosis she never let it define her. During her fight she didn’t let it slow her down, she kept attending community events with her son Samuel, kept active in her book club, and cheered on the Sundevils football team. She was very thankful to be able to see the wedding of her son Samuel to Kiele Nichols. She always kept positive in spirit and outlook until her death. Paula will always be remembered for her amazing smile, positive attitude, humor, and putting others above herself.
Paula is preceded in death by her brother Joel Kluhsman, her sister in law Kathy Kluhsman, her father Merrill Kluhsman, her mothers second husband David Heimbach, her brother-in-law John LeDoux, and her biological father Larry Nab,
Paula is survived by her mother Joan Heimbach of Santa Fe New Mexico, her brother Mark Kluhsman of Minnesota, her brother Nathan Kluhsman of California, her husband Mark LeDoux of Nambé New Mexico, her son Samuel LeDoux and his wife Kiele LeDoux of Española New Mexico, her son Nicholas LeDoux of Las Vegas Nevada, her mother and father-in-law Jennie and Gene LeDoux of Dixon New Mexico, her special aunt in law Ida Archuleta of Dixon New Mexico, her brother-in-law Matthew LeDoux (Pauline) of Chimayo New Mexico, her sister-in-law Reina LeDoux of Nambé New Mexico, her nephew Lukas LeDoux of Chimayo New Mexico, her niece Lourdes LeDoux of Albuquerque New Mexico, her nephew Matias LeDoux of Nambé New Mexico, and her biological half sister Lori Nab Sisneros of Portland Oregon. As well as two of her beloved dogs Sophie and Red Daisy.
In lieu of flowers and gifts the LeDoux family asks for you to make a donation in her honor to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. You can send a donation in Paula’s memory to TNBC Foundation, PO Box 204, Norwood, NJ 07648