Paul L. Camerato

Longtime Cheshire resident and one of the town’s most beloved clothiers, Paul L. Camerato, 81, peacefully passed away September 24, 2025. Paul’s care and love for his family was never ending, in no case more than for his high school sweetheart Corinne (Rittel) who he married on October 17, 1964.

In addition to Corinne, he is survived by his three doting daughters Michele Camerato (Donna Preli) of Wallingford; Lauren Mollin (Brett) of Cheshire and Allison Reilly (Chris) of Fairfield as well as his brother Donald Camerato (Marie) of North Haven; brother-in-law Gary Rittel (Linda) of Cheshire; and sister-in-law Betsy Foster (Jay) of Lovettesville, VA. He is also survived by 14 loving nieces and nephews. Nothing gave Paul more joy than being “Poppy” to his six adoring grandchildren Jessica, Lindsay, Sarah, Natalie, Colin and Austin. He loved spending quality time with each of them; attending their dance recitals and sporting events, celebrating milestones, and above all, making memories together in Newport, RI that will last a lifetime. In addition to his parents, Paul is predeceased by his beloved sister Barbara (Bobbi) Camerato.

Paul was born on March 22, 1944 in New Haven, the son of the late Donald and Helen (Landa) Camerato. He met the love of his life while attending Hamden High School, where he was a star baseball player nicknamed “Punchy” and she was a beautiful baton twirler nicknamed “Broomstick”. It was love at first sight for Paul and Corinne and they went on to be married for 60 wonderful years. They have been longtime members of the Farms Country Club in Wallingford where Paul enjoyed golfing and spending time with family and many special friends.

Paul’s love of retail started at a young age when he joined his brother in the clothing business. In 1979, Paul decided to make the move to Cheshire and open his own business, Paul’s Fine Clothing, in the Watch Factory Shoppes. It did not take long for local residents to know where to go for quality clothing with impeccable service. Paul took pride in rarely needing his measuring tape to perfectly fit any customer who walked through the door, knowing most of them by first name and making everyone feel welcome. “Treat others how you want to be treated” was how he lived in both his personal and professional life. Since his retirement and the closing of his store in 2021, Paul remained one of the best dressed men in town, rarely seen without a tie that would likely be a good conversation piece or sporting a perfectly folded pocket square that added a splash of color to his flawless outfit.

We would like to thank Dr. Rafal Barczak, Dr. Susan Alsamari and the great staff at the Oncology Unit at Midstate Medical Center for their loving care and support. Special thanks to Paul’s compassionate hospice nurse Iris Simon.

The family of Paul Camerato welcomes all friends to a public visitation on Monday, September 29, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 S. Main St. On Tuesday morning, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Bridget Church at 10:00 a.m. Friends are asked to meet directly at church. Burial will follow in St. Bridget Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Bridget’s Church, 175 Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410 or Hartford HealthCare Hospice at Home, 680 Main St. Suite 300, Watertown, CT 06795.