Gerry Louise Patrick

PATRICK, Gerry Louise (Golden), was born July 19, 1923 in Austin, Texas. She died peacefully in Gowanda, NY this past Sunday, March 6, 2011. In between, Gerry lived a full life. She recalled days riding on the shoulder of her GrandPa Powell on the dairy farm in Austin, and later as a young girl, she loved skating the lake in Pontiac, MI where she lived with her sisters Alice (Niewoehner) and Patsy (Ritz), and her little brother Duke Golden. She loved that lake, their big house and the songs and joyful love that filled it with warmth. In the 1930's her family moved to Richmond, IN. She attended Richmond High and then on to Earlham College for two years. She loved to write and continued writing letters and short stories throughout her life. While in high school she met Phillip Patrick, though he would leave for the South Pacific and serve for more than three years before he would return the decorated hero prepared to capture her heart. She said "yes" to his proposal and to the wedding ring he placed in a perfect white orchid. They were married for 56 years until his death seven years ago.Gerry and Phil moved to Dayton, Ohio in the 1950's and had three children, Gregory, Kathleen (Vaughn) and Phillip Andrew Patrick. Gerry wants to be remembered as being brave. One of her bravest moments came when her son Gregory developed a rare disease, then unknown but later diagnosed as adrenoleukodystrophy. Gerry cared for Greg through two very difficult years that saw the protracted decline of all his faculties and eventual death in 1960 at the tender age of eleven. Gerry was a loving and devoted mother to many kids on the block. Whether taking Kathy to ballet lessons, or providing a safe port for a young friend who had no where else to go, or driving Andy's basketball team to the games across town, or participating in the backyard apple fight, or comforting the neighbor kids with words of wisdom, Gerry was present and active in the lives of her children. Her love continued with her two beautiful grandchildren, Erin Leah (Vaughn) Na and Patrick Vaughn, born to Kathleen and Lewis Vaughn. She adored them and loved watching Patrick play in the old apple tree in the back yard and cherished the times of proper tea and reading poems with her dear Erin. Gerry and Lewis, a writer and editor, shared a love of literature, and he was delighted to see that she nurtured the same devotion to words in his children. And Gerry was always supportive of her daughter-in-law and birthday twin Lillian Sizemore as she pursued her creative spirit in mosaics, mandalas and education in the arts. Gerry loved the birds and her favorite was the cardinal. So when you hear a red cardinal singing high in a tree, remember Gerry and the love, beauty and bravery she gave to the world. Visitation will be held at Routsong Funeral Home at 2100 East Stroop Road in Kettering, OH 45429, on Friday, March 11 from 4 to 6 PM followed by a short funeral service where all will be encouraged to share their memories of Gerry. In lieu of flowers, please send tax-deductible donations in her name to: United Leukodystrophy Foundation 2304 Highland Drive, Sycamore, Illinois USA 60178 or go to http://www.ulf.org Condolences may be sent to the family at www.routsong.com.

Funeral Home:
Kettering Routsong Funeral Home
2100 E. Stroop Rd.
Kettering, OH
US 45429