Paula Gage Basha

Paula Gage Basha, 75, of Durham, NC, formally of Wilton, NH died peacefully at home surrounded by her family after a period of declining health on March 25, 2025. She was born on May 21, 1949, in Fitchburg, MA to Franklin and Charlotte (Beardsley) Gage.
Paula was raised and educated in Wilton, NH and graduated from Wilton High School in 1967. She spent most of her career working in the restaurant business, with her favorite job being the 25 years that she spent working at the Wilton Diner where she was beloved by so many of the customers and employees. No matter where she worked, she was always loved by many.
In 1970, while living in Fayetteville, NC, she gave birth to her first child Karen, who was born with Down's Syndrome. She made the decision to move back to Wilton so that she could raise Karen amongst a loving family. Paula was the best, most devoted mother and extended that love to all of her children. In her retirement, Paula and her husband Ron moved to Zephyrhills, FL where they made many friends and enjoyed all of the activities that come with living in a community of mostly snowbirds. Her favorite activities there included attending BINGO, going to the beach, floating in the pool, and zooming around on her golf cart. In 2022 she moved to Durham, NC to be closer to family that she dearly missed.
Paula's hobbies included thrift store shopping, scratching lottery tickets-dreaming of that big win, spending time at the beach, and watching the Red Sox. What she loved most was time spent with her family, extended family, and friends.
Paula is survived by her husband, Ronald Basha of Durham, NC, her daughter, Heather Battles and her husband John of Durham, NC, her Son Jonathan Basha and his wife Sarah of Asheville, NC, her grandsons James Seagroves-Decourcy of Raleigh, NC and Dakotah Decourcy of Cherry Valley, MA, and her great grandson Jeremy Decourcy of Cherry Valley, MA. She is also survived by her sisters, Nancy Roy of Canterbury, NH, Marcia Gage of Olympia, WA, Mary Caron of Dover, NH, and Sue Goding of Fairhaven, MA, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her son Mathew Basha in 1985 and her daughter, Karen Seagroves, in 1988. Family and friends are warmly welcomed to attend calling hours at the Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple St. Wilton, NH 03086, on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10 am – 12 pm, with a short service to be held at the end. Following the service, a burial will be held at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Wilton, NH.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made in Paula's memory to The National Down Syndrome Society, https://ndss.org/.