Our mother was fairly true to her word when more than one child begged for a pet and she declared, “I’ve had five children. I don’t need any pets.” The only pets to cross our threshold were goldfish and apple snails… not a single guinea pig or puppy. Our mother had a rock garden with lovely zinnias, marigolds and spiky purple thistle. She kept a vegetable garden. She loved a good fresh tomato. We would eat them warmed by the sun and straight from the vine like apples. Having recently planted 16 tomato plants, it was a hope to bring Mom the first ripe tomato. It is still green and on the vine.
Mom had a stroke in February. About three months later, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Our mother was a hospice nurse for several years at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH. She believed in palliative care and meeting patients’ needs no matter what stage of life and death they were in. She ended up benefiting from this kind of service herself.
Prior to returning to nursing, she worked at Water Wear in Wilton, NH for many years, helping Bill and Diane Fitzpatrick get their home-based swim team bathing suit company going. She was an incredible seamstress making clothes and bed coverings for herself and her children throughout the years. Recently going through her many past projects and projects in process, it became even more evident how truly talented she was.
Mom enjoyed her ladies’ Bible study and her Red Hat Society group. An avid reader, she visited her local library in Milford, NH regularly in the 26 years she lived there. She was a friend to many. It was tough for her when she lost her dear friend JoAnne to ovarian cancer several years ago. Despite her heartbreak, she pressed on. After a bout with breast cancer, she joined a breast cancer support group. There was a particular care and devotion among these ladies in their shared experiences. During this time, Mom became acquainted with Dr. Gautami Rao of Southern NH Hospital. An account of our Mom’s life would not be complete without a mention of this woman. Dr. Rao provided amazing support and encouragement to our Mom years after she had stopped following her clinically.
Mom was a 1963 graduate of Mt. Auburn Nursing School. We’re pretty sure she loved nursing school. She certainly loved the friends she made there and unimaginably to her children, she loved working in the operating room. She particularly liked assisting with open heart surgeries! It is hard enough for a child to imagine a parent appreciating such things, but more especially a parent who would hand us a wet face cloth and exit the room if we had a stomach bug.
Our Mom was far from perfect. She was a woman of paradoxes but she was lovely and amazing. She was jovial, outgoing and easy to talk to. She was periodically impassioned and vocal about political beliefs and the injustices of the world.
Asked about two weeks before she passed if she had any words of wisdom, in a moment of lucidity she said with her resurfaced, characteristic and motivated passion, “Keep your mouth shut and speak up when you need to!”
Amazingly, she had two sets of twins two years apart. Brian Paradise (son) of Nashua, NH passed two years ago. His twin David Paradise (son) and his partner Phyllis Strickholm reside in Lyndeborough, NH. Debra Paradise (daughter) and her wife Mary Murtagh are from West Roxbury, MA. Steven Paradise (son) of Gales Ferry, CT is Debra’s twin. Kristen Buckman (daughter) and her husband Andy live in Pittsfield, NH. She is also survived by her sister Michele Fallon of Milton, MA, her brother Thomas Fallon and his wife Debbie of Ocean Springs, MS, and her brother-in-law Phillip Brennan of West Brookfield, MA. She is predeceased by her sister Kathleen Brennan formerly of West Brookfield, MA. She also has four grandchildren. Brian’s children are Devin Paradise and Ambrozia Paradise-Boivin, married to David Boivan. Steven’s children are Victoria and Forrest Paradise.
We love you Mom. Thank you for everything.
The funeral services will be private. A celebration of life for her friends and family will be held post-Covid.
In lieu of sending flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following organizations.
Community Hospice House
hhhc.org (please designate the Community Hospice House when making your donation online)
Donations may also be mailed to
Home Health & Hospice
Attention: Community Hospice House
7 Executive Park Dr.
Merrimack, NH 03054
St. Jude’s Research Hospital
stjude.org
Donations may be mailed to
PO Box 1000
Department 142
Memphis, TN 38148
Please include “in memory of Patricia Paradise” when you make your donation.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Patricia L (Fallon) Paradise, please visit our floral store.