Paulette Patricia Metcalfe

Paulette Patricia Metcalfe (née Miller) of Fountain Hills, Arizona passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at the age of 84 with her husband, daughter and granddaughter by her side. She was born on April 7, 1941 in Palo Alto, California. She graduated from Mountain View High School in 1959 and was named the Female Athlete of the Year. In 1960, she married Gene Metcalfe and was married to him for 65 years until her passing. They raised two children, Tracey and Gary. They moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona in 1987. Paulette worked as Printed Circuit Board Engineer for Hewlett Packard in Colorado Springs. After moving to Arizona, she worked for Motorola in Scottsdale where she proudly helped to design the first Iridium satellites. She was one of the first and only women in a male-dominated field from the 1960s until she retired in the late 1990s. Upon retirement, Paulette and Gene traveled the world together and enjoyed cool summers in Show Low, Arizona. She was a dedicated knitter and was a member of the Hooks and Needles group and the American Legion Auxillary in Fountain Hills. Paulette loved being outdoors and watching sports. She was preceded in death by her parents Nita and Lawrence Miller, her stepmother, Martha Miller and her son, Gary Metcalfe. Paulette is survived by her husband, Gene Metcalfe, her daughter Tracey Metcalfe (David), her daughter in law, Sarita Parus Metcalfe, her grandchildren Paige Rowley Figueroa (Steven) and Keirin Metcalfe, and cousins Teddie Grindle Allison and Ardyth Fleet Guest. Paulette was blessed to have the most thoughtful neighbors, loving cousins and the nicest friends, all of whom the family cannot thank enough for their kindness and support. The family would like to thank the staff at Morning Star Memory Care of Fountain Hills and Always Present Hospice for the care and compassion they showed Paulette. Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life on May 3, 2026 at Gene and Paulette’s home in Fountain Hills, where we will bring her home as she wished. Please reach out to Tracey Metcalfe for further details. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to honor Paulette to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center or the Emily Griffith Foundation-Refugee Services in Denver, Colorado. Paulette loved to enjoy a slice of pie, especially Razzleberry, for breakfast after holidays and family dinners. She always insisted the pie tasted much better the day after. The family invites everyone to try it for themselves, find out she was right, and think of her.