Karen Paulson, 68, a longtime aide to Speaker John A. Boehner and several other Republican members of Congress, died on July 26.

“For those of us who had the privilege to know Karen, she will be deeply missed, but she will always be part of Boehnerland,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement released Wednesday.

The Colorado native began her career in public service as the clerk of the state’s House of Representatives. Her duties there led to a position as the executive assistant to the Colorado Republican Party. In 1992, she joined the Colorado House majority leader’s office.

Paulson’s Capitol Hill career began in 1998, when she joined the Washington, D.C., office of Republican Rep. Scott McInnis of Colorado. In a 2004 floor speech, McInnis praised Paulson, saying, “She is a soft-spoken, dependable, kind and intelligent individual whose work ethic is strong.”

Paulson went on to work for GOP Reps. Doug Bereuter of Nebraska, Tom DeLay of Texas, Sam Graves of Missouri, Dean Heller of Nevada, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Tom Latham of Iowa, Connie Mack IV of Florida and Jon Porter of Nevada. She joined Boehner’s office as a financial administrator in 2006 and worked there for nearly six years.

In his statement, Boehner praised Paulson as a “dedicated public servant who loved her job and especially the people she worked with, always providing a helping hand and a kind word.”