Mary Regina Paoletti, a long-time Highlands resident and business owner passed on to be with our Lord on Monday, January 18th after a lengthy illness. She was surrounded by family and her dear friend, Stella White, when she passed very peacefully.
'Gina' as she was affectionately known, was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church where she was a proud Eucharistic Minister.
She was born in South Bend Indiana on May 2nd, 1935 the second of two daughters. Upon graduating St. Mary's Academy in South Bend she moved to Miami, Florida and attended Barry College, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Barry Gazette and earned a degree in English. In 1952 she met Louis Francis Paoletti. They married in 1956 and had six children.
She learned the restaurant business from Louis and together they had two restaurants in the greater Miami area. At their Coral Gables location she was instrumental in obtaining the cities' first liquor license given to a restaurant. In 1975 Louis and Gina relocated to Delray Beach where they promptly opened another Paoletti's. The seasonal winter business of Delray led her to explore a tip from a fellow former parishioner, Leo Blair, to consider Highlands for a second 'summer' location. Having no fear of the unknown Gina made her way to Highlands and found a cheese shop on Main Street that she converted into a restaurant. With every penny they could borrow, Paoletti's on Main Street opened on July 8th 1984 with the help of sons, Arthur, John and Kevin.
An avid animal lover and member of the Humane Society & ASPCA, Gina especially loved dogs and always had one at her side. She was also a lover and benefactor of the Arts, especially the opera and symphony.
She is survived by her eldest daughter, Regina Paoletti Moller, her son, Arthur Paoletti and wife Meg, Louis Paoletti and wife Julie, daughter, Rita Paoletti, son John Paoletti and wife, Ingrid, son Kevin Paoletti and fiancé, Kim Brennan. Five grandchildren, Arthur Moller IV, Adriana Moller, Louie Paoletti, Jr., Joseph Paoletti and Nicole Paoletti, also survive her. She was predeceased by her husband Louis in 1978.
Gina will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends. Her memory will live on through her at Paoletti's Restaurant on Main Street, where 'Mrs. P' is a legend in her own rite and was known to have said 'They put it all on me!'
A viewing will be held on Friday January 22, 2016 from 6:00 till 8:00 p.m. at Macon Funeral Home in Franklin, North Carolina. Mass of a Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 12:00 PM at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Highlands, North Carolina. A reception will follow the service at the Old Edwards Inn on Main Street.
Memorial donations can be made to Hospice House Foundation, PO Box 815, Franklin, NC 28744; local ASPCA or local humane society.
Macon Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Online condolences can be made at maconfuneralhome.com