William Paradis

William Bill
    Paradis, 55
     NORTH BERWICK -- William Bill Paradis, 55, of North Berwick passed away on Feb. 10, 2008, at Exeter Hospital, after collapsing at a half-marathon on Sunday.
     Born on June 29, 1952. in Rochester, N.H., he was the youngest child of the late Louis and Bernadette Duguay Paradis of Berwick. He graduated in 1970 from Noble High School, and was employed by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he was recently promoted to his dream job, Mechanical Engineering Tech, in the Public Works Facilities Division.
     He was a devoted member of the Rochester Runners' Club, The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Maine Track Club, Granite State Wheelmen, and Randonneurs USA (long distance bicycle riding). One of his greatest athletic achievements was running a Boston Qualifier and finishing the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:26:26. Not much moss grew under Bill's feet. He and his wife backpacked in the Grand Tetons, snorkeled in Maui, and recently winter hiked to the top Mt. Crawford in the White Mountains. Bill was astonished by the quality of his friends in the running and bicycling community. Bill was generous and had a propensity for helping people who needed a bicycle. He even enlisted the help of employees at a local transfer station in scavenging for bikes that were destined for the scrap heap. Bill would often come home and find a heap of bikes in the driveway, and he always put them to good use. His favorite hobby was puttering around in the cellar, where he had an amateur bicycle repair shop.
     Yet there was more to Bill than just being a skilled mechanic. He had a thirst for knowledge. He could be found with his nose in Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth or absorbed in a bicycle tech manual. Even though he had a busy road race schedule, his first priority was visiting his two grandchildren, Eliza and Luke. On one of his last visits, Gramps helped them build an ice fort with tunnels. His family, in particular his wife, children, and grandchildren, were the joys of his life. His zest for life extended to his wide array of friends and extended family. He was irreplaceable and will be sorely missed by all who love him.
     Bill is survived by his wife of 33 years, Kathy Berry Paradis; a son, W. Wayne Paradis Jr. and his wife Shaye, and children Eliza Grace and Lucas Reid of Topsham; a daughter, Shana M. Paradis and her partner Thomas Cook of Freeport; a brother, Martin and wife Peggy of Somersworth, N.H., a brother Lee and wife Judy of Lady Lake, Fla., and a brother, Fred Paradis of Alton, N.H.; and mother-in-law, Jacquelyn Berry of North Berwick.
     Arrangements are being handled by Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home, 655 Central Ave., Dover, N.H. To leave condolences, please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, 11 a.m., at the First Congregational Church, High Street, North Berwick, with Pastor Paul Day officiating.
    Memorial donations, in Bill's
    name, may be made to:
     The Maine Children's Cancer Program, website: www.twotrials.com
     Scarborough, Maine 04704
     The D.A. Hurd Library
     High St.
     North Berwick, Maine 03906
    or your favorite charity.
     William Bill Paradis