PAULISHEN JR., JOHN “JACK” MICHAEL

John “Jack” Michael Paulishen Jr., age 54, of New Haven passed away peacefully on June 13, 2019 surrounded by his family at Connecticut Hospice. Jack passed following several years of treatments for stage four melanoma. He was the beloved husband of Michelle Blair Paulishen and the devoted father of John (Jackson) M. Paulishen III. Jack was born in Derby, Connecticut on July 3, 1964 to the late John M. and Mary Rose (Condon) Paulishen Sr. Jack graduated in 1982 from Notre Dame High School in West Haven and Fairfield University in 1986. He was a teacher at Hillhouse High School for the past 16 years, teaching Civics, Government and Politics. Jack was an influential and effective educator. In 2008, after only 5 years of teaching, Jack received the T.A.P.S. award. The T.A.P.S. awards celebrate those in New Haven Public Schools community who embody the district’s core values of collaboration, growth & innovation, and equity. At Hillhouse, Jack coached the Marshall-Brennan Moot Court, where his teams regularly traveled and successfully competed in regional events. James Hillhouse High School recently named their multi-media center after Jack and started an academic award scholarship program in his name for graduating seniors going on to college. Most recently, at the NAACP Freedom Fund Awards gala in May, Jack was awarded Teacher of the Year for 2019. Jack volunteered at the Amistad Catholic Worker, a community of faith dedicated to the daily practice of Works of Mercy and prayer, and he started the original fundraiser for Mary Care Inc. in Hartford, an organization that works to break the vicious cycle of poverty in communities. He chaired and ran MaryCare fundraisers for many years and was honored as their “Man of the Year’ in 2015. Jack served on the Board of Life Haven, a homeless shelter for women and children in New Haven. Jack organized the group from Saints Aedan and Brendan Parish to work on HomeFront, repairing and rebuilding local community homes – making them safe, dry and warm. Jack volunteered cooking and serving food at Columbus House, a homeless shelter in New Haven. Jack enjoyed camping, sailing and the NY Jets. Besides his wife of 23 years and his son, he is survived by his two sisters, Annmarie (Thomas) Spakowski of Florida, Janet (Robert) Weber of Burlington, CT, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Family and friends may visit Keenan Funeral Home, 238 Elm Street, West Haven, CT, Monday, June 17, 2019 from 4 pm – 8 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 10am at Saints Aedan and Brendan Church, 112 Fountain Street, New Haven. Interment to follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery, West Haven. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jack’s memory can be made to the Shepherds’ Program at Notre Dame High School. Please send gifts to Notre Dame High School, Shepherds’ Program, One Notre Dame Way, West Haven, CT 06516 Attn: Emily Brady. To leave an online condolence or tribute, please visit

www.keenanfuneralhome.com