Thomas Paterna

Thomas Paterna, 74, of Stratford, formerly of Milford, beloved husband of 51 years to Patricia Paterna, passed away on April 25, 2021. Born on December 22, 1946 in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late Thomas and Domenica “Minnie” Paterna.

Tom will be remembered for his kind soul, life wisdom, useless trivia and endless stories. His greatest gift was his ability to make people feel great about themselves. Whether through a kind word, compliment or joke, Tom always spread joy and laughter everywhere he went. 

For 30 years Tom and his wife Pat successfully ran multiple businesses. Tom used his gift of gab to become a leader in the telecommunications security, and in his later years turned his attention to education and inspiring future generations. He earned his MBA in Marketing and was PhDabd in Management. As a professor, Tom was revered by his students as engaging, fun and genuinely caring.

Along with his wife, Tom is survived by his son, Dr. Matthew (Courtney) Paterna; grandchildren, Madelyn and Miles Paterna; sisters, Lucille (Michael) Tuminello and Felicia (Louie) Vitale; brother-in-law, Dino (Ellen) Rossi; nieces and nephews, James, Luke, and Jimmy Alfano, Lisa and Lauren Vitale, and Lauren and Jenna Rossi; and many friends. He was predeceased by his sister and her husband, Jeanette and Jimmy Alfano.

A Walk Through Wake will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 2021 at the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad St., Milford, CT. Masks and social distancing will be required. Interment will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. at Saint Mary Cemetery, Buckingham Ave., Milford (MEET DIRECTLY AT CEMETERY) with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org. 

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