She lost her battle with cancer on August 6th and the loss is a great one. Our whole family mourns and she is missed greatly. I wrote the following for her Eulogy.
When my mom asked me to speak today, the first thought that came to mind was what is the best way to describe my Aunt. A list of her attributes came to mind but I quickly realized that Aunt Patty can’t be summed up with just a few adjectives. Her collective spirit is what defined her.
In her successful corporate career she excelled at dealing with and understanding people. Her professional drive to excel and succeed with the added challenge of being a woman in a dominantly male profession sculpted her into a sharp professional. Despite a high standing in the companies she worked with, she still managed to stay grounded. She had the ability to have that power and be respected and admired for it.
Patty was a brilliant communicator, in speech and in writing. Always ready and willing to lend an ear and offer sage like advice. No matter the time or the topic, a thoughtful and sincere answer could be found. It was always advice to help raise your life a little bit higher. Her generosity to her family and friends never had a limit. She led by example, she pushed the idea that if success is what you need, do what you like and do it honestly.
It’s the trying times like these that make us all think about what all of this is about. Why are we here, what’s our purpose? It’s a question long asked by mankind, but I think the answer is very a simple one. We all live this life together.
Aunt Patty had an energy that was impossible to ignore. When you walk into a room and people smile when they see you, you are doing something right. It’s the positive moments in life that people hold closest and dearest. No one can ever know how long they have here so you need to take today as the most important one. Helping and caring for others builds yourself as well as those immediately around you.
Some of us are fortunate enough to look no further than our own family to see a guiding light.
Instead of mourning her death we are here to celebrate her life. I’m thankful Aunt Patty was part of my life. I’m thankful she found her soul mate in Uncle Richie who walked triumphantly next to her from the moment they met. At this moment let’s all think back and remember how Patty touched our lives. She was a beautiful person and we will always cherish her in our hearts. Her time on Earth may have been too short but I can see no reason to claim that her life was anything but a resounding success.
