Obituary of Lewis M. Paternoster

Lewis M. Paternoster, age 88, of Stratford, passed away on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at St. Vincent's Medical Center. Born in Bridgeport on March 15, 1927, he was the son of the late Louis and Virginia Mazzeo Paternoster. Lewis was a U.S. Army veteran serving our country in World War II and later graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a degree in English. He enjoyed a successful career as a High School English teacher and Reading Specialist in Stratford Public schools from 1950-1969 before joining Housatonic Community College as Professor of English. He retired as Professor Emeritus after 20 years of dedicated service. One of his proudest achievements was co-authoring two books; Three Dimensions of Vocabulary Growth and A Commonsense Approach to Writing, both of which continue to be used in school districts today. Throughout his life, Lewis was a voracious reader, meticulous landscaper and frequent traveler. But his greatest joy was spending time with his family, especially his two granddaughters whom he adored. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Antoinette "Toni" (Cenatempo) Paternoster, two beloved daughters; Susan Paternoster of Stamford, and Barbara Nolan-Paternoster of West Haven, a brother; Robert of East Haven, two sisters; Rosemary Gasper of Trumbull and Marilyn Moretti of Bridgeport, two granddaughters; Lindsay and Heather Nolan, and several cousins, nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by a brother, Tom. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. directly in St. Mark Church, 500 Wigwam Lane, Stratford. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Relatives and friends may greet the family on Friday from 4-7 p.m. in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Assoc., 2080 Silas Deane Highway, 2nd Floor, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, www.diabetes.org.