Fort Kent—Joseph Lloyd Paradis, 78,  was born on August 11, 1944 and died on November 28, 2022 after a long illness. He was predeceased by his brother, Edgar who died recently in Pittsfield, Maine. He is survived by his brother, Roger who resides in Fort Kent; and his sister, Irene Sirois. Kin and friends called him Bob. Acquaintances called him Jos.

Bob served in the Maine National Guard and the regular army as a paratrooper. He took six jumps in basic training, and always landed "on my feet". He was also a registered Maine guide, and an avid outdoorsman- fishing, hunting, and trapping. He was a gun collector, and he knew his guns to the most minute detail. He loaded his own ammunition, including black powder. He assembled a 17 ^th century musket that he fired at least once. He did not own any military hardware and was not a member of NRA.

He was a heavy equipment operator for a number of years until he injured his back while. While in California, he learned deep sea diving and welding on oil rigs. In Arizona he took on long haul truck driving, which he gave up on account of his injured back, and it being too dangerous. "Too many bad drivers out there", he would say. On one occasion driving across the Cascades, he had to put his chains, and he did not appreciate that. In Flagstaff he spent months nursing a cousin who was suffering from Hodgkin's, back to health.

Bob was a radio operator. He assembled and installed his own radio and antenna with which, being bilingual, he gathered the news across he boundaries. He studied computer science and enjoyed playing checkers internationally. Perhaps it was braggadocious, but in his words, "I held my own."

Bob lived a checkered life, but whatever he did, "I did it my way." He was a cantankerous individual, he always marched to his own drummer, but the coriaceous exterior, beat a heart of gold. On the evening of the 28 ^th , his heart ran out of beats. He will receive a military graveside service at the Veterans cemetery in Caribou, on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 1pm. Arrangements have been entrusted to Lajoie-Daigle Funeral Home.