Obituary: Paul LaMond, 77, Oversaw Paradise Park and Windmill Restoration

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Charles Paul LaMond, 77, who died at home in Middletown on Monday, September 08, 2014 after a brief illness. He was the husband of Catherine (Fitzgerald) LaMond to whom he was married for 58 years. Born in Newport on April 28, 1937, he was the son of the late Charles B. (Bus) LaMond and Ellen (Hall) LaMond. His sister, Ellen LaMond, pre-deceased him.

Paul attended Cranston Calvert and graduated from De La Salle Academy, Class of 1954. After attending Villanova University and Providence College, he embarked on a 33 year career with New England Telephone (later Verizon). In 1956, he began as a summer intern at the old telephone company building on Bull Street working his way up the ranks including a lengthy stint in Boston. In 1990, he retired as an Operator Services Manager.

After retiring, he owned and operated a party rental business continuing a lifelong connection to Newport’s summer social set which began at age 14 as an houseboy at the Whitehouse estate. In 1996, he was asked to fill in as a butler at the Champs Soleil estate for 3 weeks. He left after 12 years as superintendent.

Freed from lengthy commutes and having emptied the nest of 8 children, he turned his attention to community service in Middletown. He was a founding member of the Middletown Tree Commission where his duties included working with committee members and the public to choose species and locations for tree planting. The committee was responsible for the planting of over 900 trees on virtually every thoroughfare in Middletown providing a living welcome mat for residents and visitors.

His passion for reading drew him to become a trustee of the Middletown Public Library where he served as that facility’s chairperson until his illness. He greatly enjoyed working with a dedicated board to enhance the children’s program, institute automated processes to better serve the public and start the community garden. He volunteered for the Meals on Wheels program, delivering food for 22 years, as well as St. Lucy’s Soup Kitchen. He and his wife were long time parishioners of St Lucy’s Church where he served as a lector.

He was a member of the Middletown Historical Society and helped oversee the restoration of Paradise Park and its windmill. He was recently honored by the Middletown Town Council for his extensive volunteer work.

There were few things Paul liked better than sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of Newport’s rich history, its landmarks both past and present, and anecdotes about Newport’s more interesting characters.

In addition to his wife, he leaves six daughters and two sons: Deb LaMond and her partner Kathy Gilroy of Hillsborough, NJ, Charles Paul LaMond Jr and his partner Alexander Molina of Los Angeles, CA, Catherine Quinn and her husband David of Atlanta, GA, Betsy LaMond and her spouse, Jean Piette, of East Sandwich, MA, Jennifer LaMond and her partner Daniel Denton of Portsmouth, RI, Christian LaMond of Los Angeles, CA, Susan LaMond of Newport , RI, Alexandra LaMond of Brooklyn, NY.

He leaves four grandchildren, Alexandra and Charles Quinn of Atlanta, GA. Ens. Margaret Gilroy USN and Ben Gilroy of Hillsborough, NJ, his sister Jeanne Hyde of Omaha, NE, his sister-in-law Ann Marley of Newport, many lifelong friends and beloved nieces and nephews with whom he shares wonderful memories of family celebrations, particularly at Gooseberry Beach and Black Point.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Middletown Public Library or the Middletown Tree Commission.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-7pm on Thursday, September 11, 2014 at the O’Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring Street, Newport. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Lucy’s Church, 909 West Main Road, Middletown at 10:30am on Friday, September 12, 2014. Burial will be private. For more information or online condolences, please visit www.onhfh.com.