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| Vol. 18, No. 9 | Oct. 29, 1998 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 9 | Oct. 29, 1998 |
Eleanor Clement Paradee and the late W. Charles Paradee Sr.
Mr. Paradee died at his Dover home in July. Born in Kent County in 1906, he was the son of a farmer and a descendant of French Huguenots who settled in the state. While he did not attend UD, in the 1920s, he traveled to Newark and ran with the Delaware College track team. He was considered an excellent athlete.
He founded Paradee Oil Co. and Paradee Gas Co. and served as president of both. Active in civic affairs, Mr. Paradee was past president of the board of trustees of Wesley United Methodist Church and a patron of civic and nonprofit organizations, such as Troop 13, Boy Scouts of America, and the Bayhealth Medical Center-Kent General Hospital.
A member and past president of Dover Rotary, Mr. Paradee accumulated more than 43 years of perfect attendance there and was awarded Rotary International's highest commendation.
He also was involved with the Masons, Union Lodge #7, and he was a charter member of Nur Temple in Wilmington and the Royal Order of the Jesters.
A member of Delaware 4-H Clubs, Mr. Paradee was involved in Delaware's agriculture industry and heritage through support of the Delaware Agriculture Museum, Delaware State University and the University of Delaware.
He is listed in Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in Finance and Industry and Who's Who in America.
Eleanor Clement Paradee said her husband "had a strong association with the University of Delaware. He had many friends there and had become very close to President David Roselle, Dr. Nye, the agriculture college dean, and Jack Burris, [alumnus and trustee]."
Mr. Paradee's contributions to UD have provided scholarship support to students majoring in agriculture. According to his wife, this financial support is designed to be wide ranging and assist students, faculty and researchers.
Also active in community affairs, Mrs. Paradee was asked by Gov. and Mrs. Pierre du Pont to serve as coordinator of the hostesses of Woodburn, the Delaware governor's mansion. She served the state in that capacity for eight years.
Like her late husband, Mrs. Paradee is a proponent of higher education, which she says is "very important for young people today-more so than in the past. I promote higher education as much as I can."
The interior of the Paradee Center is designed to accommodate classroom sessions and meetings of area groups and organizations. The modern kitchen will be useful for 4-H and Cooperative Extension programs. Both organizations were of particular interest to Mr. Paradee.
"What pleases me so much," Mrs. Paradee said, "is that Charles' legacy will live on in this way, and I believe it's very fitting since he has done so much for the county."
-Ed Okonowicz
