Who was Paula Sunshine? Beloved Independence Blue Cross marketing executive dies aged 67

Paula Sunshine, a senior vice president and chief marketing executive at Independence Blue Cross, a health insurer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reportedly passed away on February 3, 2024. She was 67 years old.

While the cause of death remains unknown, Paula Sunshine’s death was confirmed by her family in an obituary on the Goldstein Funeral Home website. The obituary announced funeral services for Sunshine will be held on Monday, February 5, 2024, at 10:30 am at Adath Israel Congregation in Highland Avenue, Merion Station, Pennsylvania.

The obit also urged people to donate in her memory to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service or Brighter Horizon Foundation.

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Community mourns death of beloved Independence Blue Cross marketing executive Paula Sunshine

The community is mourning the death of beloved Independence Blue Cross marketing executive Paula Sunshine, who reportedly passed away over the weekend. Sunshine, who holds a BA in mathematics from Emory University and an MBA from the Wharton School in Pennsylvania, joined the Independence Blue Cross health insurance company in 2007.

Per her LinkedIn, prior to working with Independence, she was a senior vice president at MBNA Bank. Sunshine retired as a senior vice president of MBNA after the company’s acquisition by Bank of America in 2006. In 2013, she was chosen to be the speaker of the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

According to a press release from the Independence company, in 2019, Sunshine was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to serve as a member of the newly created Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. The committee was created to moderate and maintain “a competitive state-based Marketplace where individual consumers can enroll in health insurance plans.” At the time, Independence CEO Dan Hilferty said:

“Paula is a balanced and experienced voice in the consumer market. Her knowledge, combined with her deep understanding of the customer experience, strongly positions her to help lead the new Authority through a successful transition for our Commonwealth.”

According to her obituary on the Goldstein Funeral Home website, Paula Sunshine was married to Bob Kagan for forty years, and the couple raised four children together. In the wake of the death announcement, several people took to the comments and expressed their devastation.

Condolence posts (Image via Goldstein Funeral home)

They also remarked on Sunshine’s fierce intelligence and innate kindness. A friend, Collette MvBratney, wrote:

“Paula - a remarkable person. Professional, super smart, & kind. Your presence will be greatly missed.”

Another friend, Barbara Scheer-Eason, who had known Sunshine since they were children, wrote:

“My condolences to the Sunshine and Kagan family. I have known Paula since we were in elementary school and Girl Scouts and lived in the same neighborhood. May her memory be a blessing.”

Sunshine is survived by her husband, Bob, her four children, Micah Kagan, Sarah Kagan, Isaac Kagan, and Eli Kagan, and her two grandchildren.