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Patricia LaPierre passed away on May 25 at Connecticut Hospice following a dignified battle with cancer. Patricia survived her beloved husband Rene LaPierre and was survived by her children Christopher and Katherine; son-in-law James; treasured granddaughters Madeleine and Lucy; siblings Michael and Deborah; many loving nieces, relatives, and neighbors; and countless close friends.

Patricia grew up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and graduated as the salutatorian of Holyoke Catholic High in 1966. She then went on to University of Massachusetts, becoming the president of her sorority (Pi Beta Phi) and spearheading the attainment and financing of a new house for that organization. It was one of Pat’s Pi Phi sisters, Carol, who set her up with her Rene for their first date, allowing Carol to later become her loving sister-in-law.

Shortly after graduating in 1970, Pat married Rene and moved to the Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California. While Rene spent much of that time on active duty in Vietnam, Pat and Rene started their family. After the war, Pat and Rene moved back east, with Rene first furthering his education and pursuing his professional career as a chemical engineer at Mobil and Patricia then gaining her master’s degree in library sciences. Professionally Pat moved on to contribute to the library programs at Trenton State College and Rutgers University and to become the director of library services at the law firms of Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel in Philadelphia, and Carmody & Torrance in New Haven.

Pat and Rene moved to Guilford in 2000, being welcomed in by a group known as the Wednesday Night Coffee Group, the source of many close friendships for years to come. Upon Rene’s passing in 2006, Pat moved to Madison where she enthusiastically focused on being an extraordinary grandmother, her beautiful gardens, her work, and being an active board member of her condominium association.

Despite her professional, academic, and community achievements she will be best remembered simply for the woman she was. Pat will always be known as a kind, strong, witty, charismatic, and above all, loving member of any community of which she was a part. Few people got to know Pat without coming to consider her one of their favorite people. She was an inspiration for most people she encountered in life and will continue to be so for decades to come. Patricia will be deeply missed and remembered fondly by any who have been fortunate enough to have crossed her path.

Pat will be honored between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, at a memorial service in her beloved gardens.

Those wishing to honor Pat’s life and legacy can donate to The Dana Farber Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program (http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/IBC) or The Connecticut Hospice (www.hospice.com).