December 2024

On December 14th Gina Marie (Poppalardo) Paddock passed peacefully in her sleep.  She was born May 22nd, 1952 to Evelyn and Ernest Poppalardo.  She was predeceased by an infant daughter, Amy, a brother, Mark, and leaves a sister, Carole and brother, Dario.  She also has several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews that loved her very much.

Gina was a loving and giving person to family, friends, and her beloved animals.  She spent many years at Guppies to Puppies where she made many of her animal loving friends who will all miss her generous and giving spirit.  Her family would like to acknowledge her devoted friend Richard for his dedicated companionship and care for Gina.

The Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 231 Main St., Portland, is in charge of arrangements and services will be private at a later date.

Antoinette  (Paranzino)Gaffney passed away December 13th at the age of 93. She is predeceased by her husband, Harold Gaffney and her son John Gaffney. Antoinette was born in Middletown, the daughter of the late Pasquale and Anna (Sudano) Paranzino. She is survived by her children: Martin Gaffney of Portland, Paula Hill of Colorado, James Gaffney of Middletown, Diana Gaffney of Florida. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 20th at 10 a.m. in St. Sebastian Church. Burial will be in the family plot in St. Mary's Cemetery, Portland. There are no calling hours.

The Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 231 Main St., Portland, is in charge of arrangements.

Shaun Patrick Manning, 58, of Portland, tragically passed away on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. He was the beloved husband of Teri Manning. Shaun was born on March 11, 1966 in Middletown, CT, to Thomas and Eileen Manning, He was the youngest of seven children.

Shaun was a lifelong Portland resident.  He graduated from Portland High School and attended Northwood University in Michigan.

An avid car enthusiast, Shaun spent many years in the automotive field as a car salesman and service manager for several local dealerships before joining his father and brothers to form their company Manning Home Builders. He took over the day-to-day operations of the company upon the passing of his father.

Shaun’s devotion to the town of Portland was felt far and wide.  As a member of the Portland Fire Department since 1986, he served in many capacities as a firefighter, EMS, and officer, most recently as first lieutenant for Company 3.  He passionately chaired the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Portland Food Bank, this year collecting close to 800 bags of food to benefit the needs of many in the community.

Shaun was further called to serve the Portland community as a member of the Board of Selectmen, serving on various subcommittees. He was especially proud and honored to be nominated by the Republican Town Committee to serve the remainder of Ryan Curley’s term as First Selectman.  He was committed to moving Portland forward in a positive direction.  

When he was not serving his community, Shaun’s passion was stock car racing.  He raced many seasons in the strictly stock and mini stock series at the Waterford Speedbowl with several family and friends always in attendance cheering him on.  After giving up driving, he could still be found at the Speedbowl many Saturday nights catching up with old friends and enjoying their races. He spent a few years at Silver City in Meriden coaching his nephew in quarter midget racing.  He still had a go kart, hoping one of his grandchildren would want to follow in his footsteps. 

Ultimately, Shaun’s first love was his family and friends. His infectious smile and laugh lit up a room and made everyone feel happy and loved. Shaun enjoyed his weekends camping with his many friends and family.

He is survived by his beloved wife Teri, his loving daughter, Stephanie and her husband, Shawn Murray and his adored grandchildren, Emma, Jackson, and Anderson. He will be sorely missed by his brothers and sisters and their spouses, Kim and Bill Hanna, Sheila and Kurt Peterson, Colleen and Don Kimball, Tom and Chris Manning, Kelly and Larry Mainetti and Tim and Penny Manning. He is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was predeceased by his parents Tom & Eileen Manning.

Calling hours are Friday, December 27th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Portland High School, 81 High St., Portland, CT.  Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 28th beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Portland High School. Burial will be in the Swedish Cemetery, Portland.  The Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 231 Main St., Portland, is in charge of arrangements.  In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request any charitable donations be made in Shaun’s memory to either the Portland Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 71, Portland, CT, 06480 or the Portland Food Bank, 7 Waverly Ave, Portland, CT, 06480, ATT Kevin Backman.