Obituary for Paul Marc Talon
Better Call Paul.
Paul Talon’s phone rang a lot. It would ring when a traffic light would go out of sync (or just plain go out). It would ring when a water main broke. It would ring if the grass around the elk statue in Pine Hill Cemetery had grown too high. It would ring if someone put bubble bath into the water of the old horse trough. And it most certainly would ring if the Christmas tree in the upper square blew over in a high wind. If something was amiss in the City of Dover, Paul was just the man to call.
Paul Marc Talon was born September 10, 1956 to Henry and Phyllis (Varley) Talon in Dover, New Hampshire. He was immediately outnumbered by his two older sisters and by a third sister a few years later. While he may have been in the minority growing up, the four siblings would have a deep and unwavering bond that would last the entirety of his life. In fact, his sisters cared for him throughout his heroic battle with cancer and into his final moments, which came to pass on February 9, 2024 at the age of 67.
Paul grew up with his family on South Pine Street. It was there that he met his dear, life-long friend Kenny Young. Paul attended grade school at Saint Mary Academy before graduating from Dover High School in 1975. He was always a hard worker, even taking on a part-time job caretaking in Pine Hill Cemetery with the City of Dover Public Works Department while still in school. It was a part-time gig that would evolve into a vibrant career spanning nearly four decades and finding him beloved by his coworkers, even long after his retirement in 2015.
It was as a grounds and maintenance foreman that Paul touched the lives of all in the Dover community. He did a little bit of everything from mowing grass, plowing snow, welding metal, laying bricks and mending pipes, to fixing traffic lights (and dodging irate drivers while doing so), maintaining gravestones, dumping a truckload of rubber ducks into the Cocheco River for the duck races, rigging up holiday lights and, yes, even putting up the annual Christmas tree in the upper square. It never failed that a photographer from the Foster’s Daily Democrat would show up to take his picture while he was wrestling with the branches. As much as he loathed having his photo taken for the paper, his mother would beam with pride every time, cutting it out and hanging it on the refrigerator for all to see. Paul was overjoyed when the City planted a permanent, living tree in Henry Law Park. That one was far less likely to blow over at the most inopportune time (and one less photo in the newspaper).
Paul was a lover. He loved trucks, shooting sports, classic rock, subs from Moe’s and Riverbend, snowmobiling, his sister Nancy’s Spam and cheese pie (don’t knock it until you try it), and the tall pine tree that stood behind his house in Rochester. He loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed sending funny birthday cards. He loved his friends, including Wally Stevens, with whom he worked and was a best friend for decades. Paul especially loved motorcycles and owned several over the years. He relished in long, winding rides around the state. Two of his three nieces loved to take rides with him on the back of his bike (the third was way too scared and still is). He passed his love of motorsports on to his grand nephew Owen, who considers Paul his mentor.
But even more than two wheels, Paul loved four legs. His Rottweiler, Ripley, was his constant companion. The dog was a gentle giant and ever loyal to his owner. Ripley was so sweet that it was easy to forget he clocked in at more than 100 pounds. The reminder would come when Paul’s mother would be spotted attempting to walk Ripley down Pearl Street—a sight to behold as the dog pretty much walked her.
But most of all, Paul loved his family, for whom he’d do most anything. He was the first to lend a helping hand, whether it be to take in his mother’s somewhat skittish cat, Muffy, when she could no longer look after her, or to lend his sister Denise his truck to run brush to the recycling center. Paul was known to visit at least three different supermarkets in order to ensure he got the very best price on Oreo cookies when shopping for his mother’s groceries before having lunch with her every Sunday. From there he could be found most Wednesdays having lunch with his sister Joanne and niece Jennifer. He was a devoted son, brother and uncle. Never having children of his own, Paul especially adored his three nieces, Jen, Jami and Megan—the apples of his eye—and was a constant presence in their lives. He would always be “Unc” to them. He loved his two grand nephews and grand nieces. And he had a special soft spot for London, his great-grand niece, who loved to draw him pictures and give him warm hugs.
The last month of Paul’s life, spent at his sister Joanne’s home, was filled with a steady stream of visits from friends, family and old colleagues—a testament to the many lives he touched—before he answered his final call. Paul was pre-deceased by his parents, Henry and Phyllis, as well as several aunts and uncles. He leaves his three sisters, Nancy Lepage and her husband Don, Joanne Peck and Denise Talon, all of Dover, NH; his three nieces, Jennifer Haydon and her husband Matt of Rochester, NH, Jami Boucher and her husband Eric of Berwick, ME, and Megan Latour and her husband Eric of Dover, NH; his grand niece Bayleigh Boucher and great-grand niece London Boucher of Dover, NH; his grand nephews Owen and Cole Boucher of Berwick, ME; his grand niece Meaghan Harvey, her husband Jonathan, and their daughter Adelynn of Derry, NH; and numerous cousins. All of them feel his loss deeply, knowing that the world was a better place with Paul in it.
All who wish to honor Paul are invited to call from 1pm-4pm on Saturday, February 17th at Purdy Funeral Home, 655 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820. A family burial at Pine Hill Cemetery will occur later in the Spring.
The family is very grateful to the visiting nurses who helped care for Paul. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul’s memory to:
Cornerstone VNA
178 Farmington Road
Rochester, NH 03867
https://cornerstonevna.org/donate
Additionally, Paul loved dogs. Donations can also be made in his memory to:
Old Dogs Go to Helen
Senior & Hospice Sanctuary
83 Range Road
Epsom, NH 03234
https://olddogsgotohelen.com/donate
Paul Talon’s phone rang a lot. It would ring when a traffic light would go out of sync (or just plain go out). It would ring when a water main broke. It would ring if the grass around the elk statue in Pine Hill Cemetery had grown too high. It would ring if someone put bubble bath into the water of the old horse trough. And it most certainly would ring if the Christmas tree in the upper square blew over in a high wind. If something was amiss in the City of Dover, Paul was just the man to call.
Paul Marc Talon was born September 10, 1956 to Henry and Phyllis (Varley) Talon in Dover, New Hampshire. He was immediately outnumbered by his two older sisters and by a third sister a few years later. While he may have been in the minority growing up, the four siblings would have a deep and unwavering bond that would last the entirety of his life. In fact, his sisters cared for him throughout his heroic battle with cancer and into his final moments, which came to pass on February 9, 2024 at the age of 67.
Paul grew up with his family on South Pine Street. It was there that he met his dear, life-long friend Kenny Young. Paul attended grade school at Saint Mary Academy before graduating from Dover High School in 1975. He was always a hard worker, even taking on a part-time job caretaking in Pine Hill Cemetery with the City of Dover Public Works Department while still in school. It was a part-time gig that would evolve into a vibrant career spanning nearly four decades and finding him beloved by his coworkers, even long after his retirement in 2015.
It was as a grounds and maintenance foreman that Paul touched the lives of all in the Dover community. He did a little bit of everything from mowing grass, plowing snow, welding metal, laying bricks and mending pipes, to fixing traffic lights (and dodging irate drivers while doing so), maintaining gravestones, dumping a truckload of rubber ducks into the Cocheco River for the duck races, rigging up holiday lights and, yes, even putting up the annual Christmas tree in the upper square. It never failed that a photographer from the Foster’s Daily Democrat would show up to take his picture while he was wrestling with the branches. As much as he loathed having his photo taken for the paper, his mother would beam with pride every time, cutting it out and hanging it on the refrigerator for all to see. Paul was overjoyed when the City planted a permanent, living tree in Henry Law Park. That one was far less likely to blow over at the most inopportune time (and one less photo in the newspaper).
Paul was a lover. He loved trucks, shooting sports, classic rock, subs from Moe’s and Riverbend, snowmobiling, his sister Nancy’s Spam and cheese pie (don’t knock it until you try it), and the tall pine tree that stood behind his house in Rochester. He loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed sending funny birthday cards. He loved his friends, including Wally Stevens, with whom he worked and was a best friend for decades. Paul especially loved motorcycles and owned several over the years. He relished in long, winding rides around the state. Two of his three nieces loved to take rides with him on the back of his bike (the third was way too scared and still is). He passed his love of motorsports on to his grand nephew Owen, who considers Paul his mentor.
But even more than two wheels, Paul loved four legs. His Rottweiler, Ripley, was his constant companion. The dog was a gentle giant and ever loyal to his owner. Ripley was so sweet that it was easy to forget he clocked in at more than 100 pounds. The reminder would come when Paul’s mother would be spotted attempting to walk Ripley down Pearl Street—a sight to behold as the dog pretty much walked her.
But most of all, Paul loved his family, for whom he’d do most anything. He was the first to lend a helping hand, whether it be to take in his mother’s somewhat skittish cat, Muffy, when she could no longer look after her, or to lend his sister Denise his truck to run brush to the recycling center. Paul was known to visit at least three different supermarkets in order to ensure he got the very best price on Oreo cookies when shopping for his mother’s groceries before having lunch with her every Sunday. From there he could be found most Wednesdays having lunch with his sister Joanne and niece Jennifer. He was a devoted son, brother and uncle. Never having children of his own, Paul especially adored his three nieces, Jen, Jami and Megan—the apples of his eye—and was a constant presence in their lives. He would always be “Unc” to them. He loved his two grand nephews and grand nieces. And he had a special soft spot for London, his great-grand niece, who loved to draw him pictures and give him warm hugs.
The last month of Paul’s life, spent at his sister Joanne’s home, was filled with a steady stream of visits from friends, family and old colleagues—a testament to the many lives he touched—before he answered his final call. Paul was pre-deceased by his parents, Henry and Phyllis, as well as several aunts and uncles. He leaves his three sisters, Nancy Lepage and her husband Don, Joanne Peck and Denise Talon, all of Dover, NH; his three nieces, Jennifer Haydon and her husband Matt of Rochester, NH, Jami Boucher and her husband Eric of Berwick, ME, and Megan Latour and her husband Eric of Dover, NH; his grand niece Bayleigh Boucher and great-grand niece London Boucher of Dover, NH; his grand nephews Owen and Cole Boucher of Berwick, ME; his grand niece Meaghan Harvey, her husband Jonathan, and their daughter Adelynn of Derry, NH; and numerous cousins. All of them feel his loss deeply, knowing that the world was a better place with Paul in it.
All who wish to honor Paul are invited to call from 1pm-4pm on Saturday, February 17th at Purdy Funeral Home, 655 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820. A family burial at Pine Hill Cemetery will occur later in the Spring.
The family is very grateful to the visiting nurses who helped care for Paul. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul’s memory to:
Cornerstone VNA
178 Farmington Road
Rochester, NH 03867
https://cornerstonevna.org/donate
Additionally, Paul loved dogs. Donations can also be made in his memory to:
Old Dogs Go to Helen
Senior & Hospice Sanctuary
83 Range Road
Epsom, NH 03234
https://olddogsgotohelen.com/donate