Clarabelle "Mom" Paradise

1918 - 2023

Clarabelle "Mom" Paradise
September 24, 2023
104 years 291 days,
~38,251 sunrises,
~114,753 hugs,
~765,020 smiles shared,
~125 million tears shed,
~12,896 rainy days,
~76,502 I-love-yous,
One life.
Clarabelle Mertha Paradise, née Osborn, was born December 7, 1918, in Bridgeport, CT. A lifelong resident of Connecticut, she called Redding home until 1976, and, after living in Bethel for three years, she settled in West Haven. She was well-known where she lived and traveled – if people didn't know her directly, they knew of her. She was a force. Her voice was her own, strong and clear. Born in an era where women were taught to be quiet and invisible, Clarabelle refused to be either. She shared in the world, shared her joy and frustration, without reservation. She was a tireless advocate for herself and the people and animals she loved. Her children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, friends, and neighbors all knew that Clarabelle, or 'Mom' as she was affectionately called, had their back. Animals sensed this as well and her home became a favorite hang-out spot for neighbors' dogs, to her delight. Clarabelle spent her early years living with her mother, Clara Hart, in the telephone office in Redding, where her mother worked as a switchboard operator. Callers to the operator would often be greeted by very young Clarabelle, who answered the phone when her mother could not. After marrying Sam Osborn in 1925, the family moved to the Ridge in Redding. Clarabelle graduated from Danbury High School in 1936 – there was no high school in Redding at the time – and attended Connecticut College until 1938. Preferring a more dynamic environment, Clarabelle left the college and graduated instead from Butler Business School in 1940. After graduation, she supported the war effort by working as an administrator for Bassick, a company that made casters. Her focus shifted to caring for her family after she married Anthony George Paradise, Sr. in 1946 and later became a mother of three children, to whom she remained extremely close. When she became a grandmother in 1981, she became known as 'Grandma "P' to a new generation of children and their friends. Grandma "P" was as likely to giggle and dance with her grandchildren as she was to assign them chores. She embodied and reinforced the importance of treating everyone – including yourself – with respect. Clarabelle noticed and appreciated the details of life – a hat someone was wearing, a squirrel tucked away eating an acorn, the flowers on her daily walks, the way water droplets formed on the window of her apartment – which she often shared with others. She knew how to turn the everyday into a gift and she understood that gifts are given from the heart. She sent thoughtfully hand-written cards for every holiday, clipped personalized newspaper articles for family and friends, warned her neighbors and relatives across the country of impending weather, and made a point of making eye contact and saying hello to every person she passed. She celebrated every holiday, birthday, concert, and family event with the perfect festive outfit, her signature cake (baked exclusively by her until she was 95), and party favors for all. Her strong blue eyes drank in the world around her and she did her best to share what she received. People often found themselves smiling within the first few minutes of meeting Clarabelle. Her dry, quick wit, contagious laugh, Snoopy pins (she loved anything and everything Snoopy), and dismissive hand gestures of anything she found to be absurd relaxed people. As she aged, her joy and laughter became infectious. Every day she would walk, and later wheel with her daughter, Clare, the 2.5 miles of boardwalk in West Haven at Savin Rock and wave to everyone she passed. She became Queen of the Boardwalk. She was never 'too old.' Clarabelle traveled frequently out of state until she was 100, she read nearly every day until just before her passing, and, after breaking her hip in 2013, learned to walk again. Clarabelle would often be asked about her secret to living a long life. Her response was to shrug. 'I don't know,' she'd say, 'I just live my life.' Clarabelle lived a life that was strong and uncompromising, as true to herself as she could be at any given moment. She passed on September 24, 2023. The force of her presence is noticeably absent and greatly missed. Clarabelle was pre-deceased by her husband, Anthony George Paradise, Sr., and son, Anthony George Paradise, Jr. She is survived by her children, Robert Paradise, Robert's wife Sandy, her devoted daughter, Clare, and George's widow, Barbara; her grandchildren, Michael Paradise (partner Shelly Hart), Lindsey Paradise, Allison Paradise, and Heather Paradise-Carpenter, Heather's husband, Aaron and their daughter, Gwendolyn; her cousin, Barbara Brick; her dear friend, Paul and her 'baby', Captain; and by the countless people whose lives she touched with a smile and a wave.
Visitation will be held on Friday, October 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the West Haven Funeral Home at the Green. Interment will be on Saturday October 14 at 10 a.m. at the Redding Ridge Cemetery, Redding, CT. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Animal Haven, 89 Mill Road, North Haven, CT, in her memory. To leave an online condolence, please visit our website at www.westhavenfuneral.com