Paige Cubbison

Mary Paige Cubbison, a longtime resident of Miami, FL, and more recently residing in Austin, TX, passed into the presence of our Lord on All Saint’s Day this year, November 1, 2022. She was 85. Paige was a devoted mother, daughter, sister, colleague, teacher, grandmother, and patron saint of stray dogs.

Paige graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelors in History from the College of William and Mary in 1958. She won a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and went on to earn a Master’s in History at Duke University. She presided over a long career as a college history professor, serving first at Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, and then for decades at Miami-Dade Community College in Miami. She was a devoted scholar who made history come alive for her students. Late in her career, she volunteered to teach remedial college skills to students struggling to maintain standards after graduating high school. In Professor Cubbison, students encountered a patient, kind and interested academic, with the highest standards but also tenaciously committed to their growth and success.

As a child, Paige enjoyed an adventurous life as an Army kid. Born at Fort Sill, OK, Paige soon followed her parents to Honolulu, where she delighted in the diverse and exciting life of the Army post. On December 7, 1941, her family was stationed at Schofield Barracks when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Paige, brother Don and mother Mary hid under an oak dining table while the planes roared overhead. The attack went on for 90 minutes. Her Dad was immediately off to command troops at the barracks. After the attack, Don and Paige, accompanied by their mother, left their Dad behind and traveled back stateside upon a Clipper flying boat, evading the submarines plying the Pacific. Later, her father wrote letters to her from his front-line service in France and Germany.

A postwar return to Hawaii allowed her to participate in a multicultural and multiracial Girl Scout troop, the foundation for a lifetime of passionate advocacy.

A lifelong Episcopalian who found joy in service to the church, Paige was a strong believer and loved our Lord. From Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg to the Chapel of the Venerable Bede in Miami, she worshiped and served on the Vestry. Every morning, she read her Daily Office psalms and readings; The New York Times; and The Miami Herald. She would also knock out the daily NYT Crossword Puzzle.

Paige was an uncompromising feminist and Democrat. The rear of her Honda CRV was covered with stickers supporting liberal causes and Democratic candidates. One of her most memorable trips post-retirement was visiting her brother Ted in DC to attend Barack Obama’s historic inauguration in January of 2009.

Paige delighted in her family. Balancing her full-time career with parenting, she created a stable and loving home for three sons. The four, often accompanied by school friends, would travel on weekly adventures to local beaches, parks, and libraries. The boys remember epic car trips up the coast of Florida in her sturdy Toyota Corollas. Paige experienced such joy with the arrival of each grandchild. Her home was a safe haven for boisterous young ones and exhausted parents. She loved to bring kids out into the yard to hunt for lizards or to pick tropical flowers. She remarked that her greatest achievement was in raising three sons to be good Dads to her grandkids.

She was especially close to her parents during their retirement on the west coast of Florida. Her loving attention to Don and Molly included regular visits, nightly check-in phone calls disguised as “Jeopardy!” follow-ups, and tireless support as Mom and Dad faced elder issues. Her Dad once proudly told a bank officer that Paige was trustworthy to assume control of his account because “she was Phi Beta Kappa.”

No remembrance of Paige would be complete without a mention of her many wonderful pets. Asked how she came to own this dog or that, she might begin a story something like: “I was out at 6am walking Fritz, and running along the sidewalk was this stray! He was foaming at the mouth!” Her home was a lively menagerie of dogs, cats, and the occasional exotic acquired by one of her boys. We imagine her residing at the Lord’s side, surrounded by dachshunds and, probably, an ill-tempered cat.

Paige was preceded in death by her father, Col. Donald Cameron Cubbison Jr., her mother, Mary Pritchett Cubbison, and her brother, Command Sergeant Major Donald Cameron Cubbison III.

Survived by her brothers, Edwin and Chris Cubbison; her three sons, Eric, Jamie, and Joel Artzt; daughters-in-law Maggie Castellanos, Katie Artzt, Ina Rodriguez, Michelle McKelvey, and Kathy Balboa; her grandchildren, Catherine, Drew, Kyle, Brennan, Madison, Sarah, Ethan, Eli, and Aiden Artzt; and great-grandchildren, Draven and Isabel Artzt.

Individuals wishing to contact Paige's family can get in touch here: paige.cubbison.family@gmail.com