Leone Paradise
October 28, 2024

LEONE PICKUS PARADISE: 96, devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and lawyer, died in Arlington, Massachusetts, on October 28, 2024, with family at her side. Her death followed a long period of declining health.

The daughter of Corrine (Wetherhorn) and Herman Pickus, Leone was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1928, and grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She left Aberdeen to attend Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1947, Leone married Jack Paradise, whose work setting up miners' clinics took them to Bellaire, Ohio, where they lived for over 15 years and had their family. They later divorced and Leone moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, she worked first as a speech therapist at what is now the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh. Subsequently, she earned a master's degree in English at Carnegie Mellon University, and later, a law degree from Duquesne University at the age of 49. She practiced as a labor lawyer with the National Labor Relations Board in Pittsburgh for her entire legal career, walking more than five miles to and from the office most days, and retiring after nearly 30 years. Leone took great pride and satisfaction in her life as a lawyer.

Leone took a keen interest in the world around her and engaged with it in a rich multitude of ways. She read widely - often, several books at once, spanning history, politics, and fiction. She was a poet and published a chapbook of her poems, The Healing Power of Trees, in 2008. She was an opera and symphony enthusiast. She was involved in every Jewish community of which she was a member during her life, and she imparted a deep love of Jewish civilization and Israel to her children. A lifelong member of the ACLU and active in the Democratic Party, Leone was a strong supporter of civil rights and many other progressive causes. She loved to hike, birdwatch, and work in her garden, and she traveled widely. At age 60, she camped north of the Arctic Circle. Leone was also committed to her Pittsburgh community. In 2001, she launched a petition, signed by over 300 fellow Pittsburghers, to save the Farmer's Cooperative Market of East Liberty that still flourishes today. A people person, Leone adored her many friends, young and old. She will be remembered for her vitality, genuineness, depth of thought, love of fun and adventure, and optimistic outlook.

Leone had four children from her first marriage, Jan (deceased) (Gary Fleisher), Daniel (deceased), Julia (Emanuel Thorne), and Emily (Arn Franzen). She was predeceased by her late husband, Charles Kirshner, and her brother and sister-in-law, Herman and Gail Pickus. In addition to her children, she leaves six grandchildren, Daniel, Madeline and Carl Fleisher, Miriam and Leon Daniel Thorne, and Elias Franzen; and seven great-grandchildren, Isaac, Gabriel, and Noah Fleisher, Jane and Henry McKenzie, and Charlotte and Bennett Fleisher.

Graveside Service and Interment on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 2:30 PM at Tree of Life Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy at https://waterlandlife.org/  or the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.schugar.com 

Condolences

Leone inspired me to be and do my best. I loved her and am grateful for her, and for her daughter Julia, one of my beloved high school friends.

Mrs. Paradise was simply amazing. May her memory be for a blessing. Love you, Mrs. Paradise!