Eleanor Cain, noted authority on aging
Eleanor Lee (Paradee) Cain, 85, former director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities from 1973 to 2001, who was appointed to her position by four governors, passed away at her home Monday, April 8, 2019.
A native Delawarean, she was the daughter of the late W. Charles Paradee and Eleanor Simpson Paradee. She was a graduate of Dover High School and Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J. Under her leadership with the State of Delaware, she developed many programs to help older people and adults with disabilities live independently with dignity. She was a pioneer in the field of aging. She served on many local and national boards and committees. She was a former president of the National Association of State Units on Aging headquartered in Washington, D.C., which represented all 50 states. The association presented her with two prestigious awards: The Louise Gerrard Award for outstanding accomplishments in rural America, and the Gerald Bledow Award for outstanding state director in the 1990s. Both awards were voted on by her peers.
She was appointed by President Reagan to represent the 50 states on aging to the World Assembly on Aging in 1982 in Vienna, Austria. She was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1995, she won the Delaware Association for Public Administration Award for outstanding public service in the State of Delaware.
Ms. Cain was a member of the Junior League of Wilmington and the Salvation Army Regional Advisory Board, where she was the first woman to chair the board. The Salvation Army presented her with three awards including the William Booth Award and the OTHER Award given to those who always put others before themselves. In 2015, she was granted a certificate of Membership Emeritus.
In 1990, she was a consultant for the U.S. State Department traveling to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, assisting these countries in the development of legislation and programs for the elderly. She was one of the founders of Meals on Wheels Delaware and served on the board of directors for many years.
Following her retirement from the state in 2001, she formed a consulting firm which allowed her to continue assisting aging agencies in both Delaware and across the country to further expand and build programs to help their elderly populations. Throughout, she maintained her national stature as a pioneer in the field of aging. During her retirement, she had a wonderful time traveling with family and friends, and spending time with her grandchildren. She enjoyed her friendships, which included many from her childhood years in Dover, her years at the state, and her neighbors who supported her during her last years of illness.
She is survived by her brother W. Charles Paradee Jr. (Linda) of Smyrna; two daughters, Eleanor Randolph Albright (Clayton Monroe III) of Wilmington, and Elizabeth Durham Chiedi (Anthony) of College Park, Md.; four grandchildren, Alexandra Paradee Albright Barlow (Christopher), Clayton Randolph Albright, Michael Anthony Chiedi, and Christopher William Chiedi. She is also survived by two nephews and one niece, John Wilson Paradee (Linda), Jaqueline Paradee Mette (Luke), and W. Charles Paradee III; and five great-nephews and one great-niece.
Services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, April 12, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1108 N. Adams St., Wilmington. Burial will be private. The family will greet friends at a reception in the church hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers please make contributions in honor of Eleanor Cain to Meals on Wheels Delaware, 100 West 10th St., Suite 207, Wilmington, DE 19801; or The Salvation Army Programs, 400 N. Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801.
Arrangements by McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory Inc., Wilmington, www.mccreryandharra.com.
