Verna Paul
1941-2022
The family of Verna Paul (Maskell) is saddened to announce her passing
after a brief illness on March 20, 2022. She was born in 1941 at Riley
Brook, NB, a tiny community along the Tobique River. Life in rural
New Brunswick in the 1940’s was tough, and it was probably that
upbringing that shaped her outlook in life. She was a hardworking and
independent free thinker. She never took anything for granted, and
when she set out to do something, she did it.
Work was very important in Verna’s life, something she tried to
instill in her four children. For most of her life she worked in the
restaurant industry: starting at a soda fountain in Perth-Andover in
the mid 1950’s, and then working at some of Connecticut’s
exclusive country clubs. She would later operate her own restaurant,
Paradise Kitchen.
Her career took a bit of a detour in the 1970’s. She had heard
about a community program where they were looking to train people in
auto mechanics. She decided to take it. Soon she interned at a local
dealership then was hired as a service manager. The local paper ran a
lead story of how she was one of the few if not the first female auto
mechanic in the city. No longer wearing white waitress uniforms, she
would come home with oil-stained green coveralls with the Texaco Star.
Her son Patrick would slightly alter the Texaco jingle by singing
“You can trust your car, with the gal that wears the
star.”
It wasn’t long after, when someone from General Motors noticed
her, and thought she would be good at customer relations. Her new job
took her to New York and trips to GM headquarters in Michigan. But by
the early 80’s the auto industry was suffering, and she chose to
go back to working at restaurants, a place she knew, a place of
stability.
One of her closest friends was her sister, Linda Caulfield
(Demerchant). Like Verna, Linda made her way to Bridgeport, CT and
helped Verna a great deal in caring for her seven-year-old son,
Trenton. Even though Linda would later marry and move away, Verna
would often travel to Massachusetts on holidays to see her, especially
for Christmas. Their close friendship remained strong throughout the
years and when Linda moved back to Connecticut, they grew closer.
Verna loved having dinner with Linda and her spouse Jim. The three
would meet at local restaurants in Bridgeport and share stories about
politics, city life, and the good old days.
As Verna got closer to retirement, she asked her son David to help her
build a house in New Brunswick where she could live out her later
years. She chose a plot of land along the St. John River, a place near
where her family had a farm. She finally moved back to Canada in 2002
after living in Connecticut for over 40 years.
Although she retired from working, she sure didn’t slow down.
Three things kept her busy: buying and selling antiques, gardening,
and socializing with her friends and family on-line. With antiquing
she was a savvy picker, finding value in things most would overlook.
On weekends, you would find her and her son Patrick at flea markets
and fairs in Northern NB and Northern Maine. She used Ebay to sell
her glassware and antiques and though she discovered the Internet late
in her life, she developed lots of on-line friends whether it was
through antiquing, Facebook, or just chatting as they played on-line
games.
She loved gardening and had several throughout the years. In
Bridgeport, she grew a variety of fruits and vegetables in her
backyard and often canned the harvest for winter. In New Brunswick the
garden one around her house was a bountiful array of flowers, herbs,
and vegetables. She loved tending to them all. She shared this
passion with Caroline Ennis (Paul) who was her dear friend and sister
in-law for over 60 years. Caroline and Caroline’s late husband
Dan would often visit Verna for some tea and good stories, and as
Verna grew older she cherished these visits more.
Verna is survived by her four sons (Patrick, Beaver, David, and
Trenton), her sister Linda of Bridgeport, CT as well as many
grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Canadian Cancer
Society (New Brunswick).
Arrangements have been entrusted to Brunswick Funeral Home,
Perth-Andover, NB.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Verna Paul 19412022..
Death notice for the town of: Perth-Andover, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick