Obituary: Jerald Paradis
Long‑time Scarborough Resident and Veteran Jerald Paradis Dies at 94
Scarborough, Maine – Jerald Paradis, a lifelong resident of Scarborough and former U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, died at his home on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, after a life of service to his country, his town, and his family.
Paradis was born and raised in the coastal New England town, graduating from Scarborough High School in 1951. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving four years in Europe. He was posted to Germany and, later, to England, where he met Evelyn Dolman of Lichfield. The couple married and remained together for 53 years until Evelyn’s death in 2008.
After leaving the service, Paradis returned to Scarborough in 1955 and began working with the Milliken Brothers, a local construction firm. While working, he attended night school and became a licensed electrician. He joined the local electricians’ union and spent the next several decades working on job sites throughout New England.
When his contracting career wound down, Paradis accepted the position of Postmaster for the Scarborough post office, a role he held for more than 27 years. Following his retirement from the post office, he ran a small repair shop—Jerry’s Fix‑It Shop—providing electrical work and general repairs to neighbors and friends.
A pillar of the community, Paradis served on the town’s Planning Board and School Committee, and was an active member of the Jaycees and the Rotary Club. He was also a long‑time volunteer with the First Congregational Church of Scarborough, where he held several positions, including deacon, Sunday‑school teacher, and lay minister. He wrote a series of whimsical “Mouse Tales,” featuring a church mouse named Ashby de la Zouch, for the church’s newsletter.
Sports were a constant thread in Paradis’s life. As a student, he played baseball and basketball for the high‑school teams, and he spent many years coaching Little League and Pee‑Wee basketball. He enjoyed golfing and played in a bowling league in nearby Westbrook. He was a devoted fan of Scarborough High School athletics, regularly cheering from the stands for boys’ and girls’ teams for decades.
Paradis was an outdoorsman at heart. He frequently walked from his home down to the Nonesuch River, a place of childhood summers spent playing and swimming with friends.
He was an only child, and he was most joyful when surrounded by family. He survived by his daughter Genice Gorman, her husband David, their children and granddaughter, as well as his daughter Marna Goodwin, her husband Ken, and their children. Cousins, nieces, and nephews also mourn the loss of a devoted family man.
Jerald Paradis is predeceased by his wife Evelyn, his son Paul, grandson Alex, and great‑grandson Izayah Freeman. His life will be remembered by all who knew him as a man of integrity, dedication, and an unending love for his community.
Friends and relatives are invited to view him at the Dennett, Craig & Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main Street, Saco, on Monday, Sept. 8, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the First Congregational Church, 167 Black Point Road, Scarborough, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at Black Point Cemetery.
