Daniel Newland Paris

Daniel Newland Paris, 82
PORTLAND - Mr. Daniel Newland Paris of Portland, passed away at the Maine Veterans' Home from complications associated with Alzheimer's disease on Jan. 10, 2015, at the age of 82. Dan was born on Aug. 4, 1932, in Seattle, Wash., to the late Louis Olden and Catherine Beers Paris.
He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1950. While in high school, Dan participated in athletics and became a lifelong sports fan. Dan entered the University of Vermont in the fall of 1950. While a student there, he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the track team. At UVM he met his future wife of 57 years, Frances Sue Howes, a nursing student. Dan graduated from UVM in 1955 with a degree in psychology, then served his country as an Army combat medic in Korea.
Returning from Korea in 1957, he married Fran and moved to Seattle, where he earned a masters' degree in social work from the University of Washington in 1960. While in Seattle, the couple welcomed their first child, Susan, in 1959. Their son Danny was born in Springfield, Mass., in 1960. After graduation, Dan worked in the mental health clinic at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Newington, Conn., a position he held for 30 years. Their second daughter, Bonnie, was born in Connecticut in 1964.
Dan was an active member of First Congregational Church in Middletown, and was involved with the Boy Scouts of America. He was a tireless advocate for civil rights for individuals with special needs, and for lesbian and gay people.
The family enjoyed time each summer at Fran's family's camp in Bingham, and later at beautiful Pine Point in Scarborough.
Dan and Fran retired to Maine in 1993 and bought a camp on Panther Pond in Raymond, where they enjoyed swimming, boating, and watching the loons. Dan continued to be active in church, and was especially proud of his role in Woodfords Congregational Church and its becoming an Open and Affirming congregation. For six years, he served as a volunteer at the Wayside Food Program. One of his great loves was Camp Sunshine, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, at which he volunteered for more than 15 years. He also enjoyed officiating at swim meets.
Dan is survived by his wife, Fran; his daughter, Susan, and her wife Lisa of South Portland, his daughter Bonnie of Portland, and his son Dan and wife Patti of Anchorage, Alaska. Also surviving him are his sisters-in-law Eleanor Paris of Frederick, Md., and Jill Howes of Winthrop; four nieces and nephews and their families; and his grandson, Robie Newman-Paris of South Portland. Dan was preceded in death by his brothers Troxell of Seattle, Wash., and Olden of Columbus, Ohio; his nephew Stephen of Columbus, Ohio; and his niece Rachel, of Washington, D.C.
Dan Paris was a man with a teasing grin and a twinkle in his eye. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
Dan's family would like to extend a special thank you to all the staff at the Maine Veteran's Home in Scarborough, where Dan received exceptional care during the last year of his life.
A memorial gathering is planned for Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. at Woodford's Congregational Church in Portland.

In lieu of flowers, friends are invited
to make a contribution to
Camp Sunshine
35 Acadia Rd.
Casco, Maine 04015
or to the
Alzheimer's Association
383 US Route One, Suite 2C
Scarborough, Maine 04074