Obituary of Mary Idolene Paradis

Mary Idolene Donovan entered this world on August 5, 1937, the youngest of 8 children of Mary Ann DelPinto and John Regis Donovan, in Redstone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She joined the Lord she worshipped, and her family, on May 29, 2025, while residing in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was pre-deceased by her Parents and her Siblings: Bernard, Conrad, Nora, Regis, Lawrence, Patrick, and a stillborn sister. Mary is survived by her caring husband of 57 years, Claude, by her daughters Renée Paradis, of St. Paul, MN, and Mia Seeger, of Elkhorn, NE, and by her grandsons David Messier, of Citrus Heights, CA, and Noah Berry of Omaha, NE, as well as by nephews, nieces, and lifelong friends.

Mary’s early years were spent in the coal mining area of Thompson #1, PA. As a teenager, she and her Mother moved to Pullman, WA, and she worked to pay her tuition at the Academy, taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. After high school, she and her dear friend Marcia Brown entered training to become SSNDs in Mankato, MN. During an early Amateur “Getting to Know You” Night, these two friends did a Song ‘N Dance routine that earned them the lasting moniker: The Gopher Girls. Mary became a Nun (Sr. Emiliano, in honor of her dear Uncle Whiz’s real name), doing her Student Teaching with 60 children in St. Agnes School, in St. Paul, MN. She became a gifted Teacher for the next 8 years in 4 of the SSND Schools and another year as a Religious Liaison at St. Bonaventure Parish in Bloomington, MN. Then her Life’s Journey decided it was time for Mary to re-enter secular life.

Mary moved to Detroit, MI, to be near her Mother and Sister, teaching in Ferndale, MI, and working toward a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies, learning from Teachers/Theologians from Brussels, Belgium—what an opportunity! But a classmate friend, a Nun, had another friend, Claude Paradis, and she was determined that these two would meet. Finally, to silence her, Mary and Claude agreed. Their first date was to go tobogganing for an afternoon—except that it rained, so they went to a Shakey’s Pizza Parlor and shared their life stories. Their friend was prophetic, for Mary and Claude were married May 10, 1968. They were trying to adopt when they learned that their daughter Renée would be arriving. Renée was born February 17, 1971. Then Mia, born May 20, 1972, in Kunsan, Korea, joined their family August 13, 1975, and was adopted May 13, 1976. Their family was now complete.

Mary taught in Robbinsdale until Renée’s birth. Then, not being tenured, she was obliged to resign. After Renée’s birth, she subbed in Robbinsdale and taught for a year at St. Alphonsus Elementary School. She chose to be a full-time Home Mother to her daughters for the next 4 years. She also served part-time as a Religious Education Coordinator for St. Joseph Catholic Community in New Hope. For the next 18 years Mary taught in several Parochial Schools in the Twin Cities area before completing her Elementary teaching career with 5 years at Edward D. Neill Elementary School in Burnsville. She loved the time she spent at Hamline University in St. Paul, earning her M.A. in Education, specializing in Language Arts. Mary was a gifted professional educator who, at times, taught all grades. She truly loved teaching and her students, routinely going the extra mile for them. Her talents were often called upon to work with, and open up, challenging students. As one of her students remarked: “James Bond couldn’t get away from her.” Allowing a student to fail simply wasn’t one of her options.

Mary taught us all how to celebrate, enjoy life, and laugh. Family was her consuming love. No one was unimportant. She was a universal cheerleader, celebrating with any person, ready to help anyone in need. As she grew older, Mary dealt with a number of the “nuisances” of aging, but rarely with a complaint. Life was for the living. Mary would love you to make a new acquaintance today and ask them about their life’s story. Get together with family and friends and share and laugh and enjoy one another. Mary wished to go to her final reward quietly, for Life is to celebrate with others rather than focus upon her. You may choose, in her honor, to donate to the Episcopal Homes Foundation (490 Lynnhurst Ave., E., St. Paul, MN 55104), for Beyond Hospice, in gratitude for their loving care during her final journey. That’s the Celebration of Life that she prefers. Mary has decided to be buried “back home” with her family in Holy Rosary Cemetery, in Republic, PA, sometime in the future. Thank you for loving her as she has loved you.