With Great Grace: That is how the God-fearing woman that is Pat lives her life

Pat Egan is a woman of strength, generosity, perseverance, joy and faith all rolled into one.

Born in 1933, she was raised during the Great Depression as an only child until her sister arrived when she was 10 years old.  With both parents working, she quickly learned responsibility and self-giving as she helped care for her younger sibling Kay from an early age.  At the age of 19, she married Dave Egan and together they had 6 children, David, Mary Pat, Julie, Michael, Kevin and Rob.

“Mom and Dad raised their children on a shoestring budget and with only one car between them during our early years,” Pat’s daughter Mary Pat said. “She lost a 5-year-old son Michael to leukemia, and then her husband died when her youngest children were 16 and 11 years old.   She cared for her elderly mother in her home and managed finances and cared for her mom, sister-in-law, and nephew for several years before they passed.  She did all this with grace and never with complaint or self-pity.

A few years after the death of her first husband, Pat married Tom Naughton and his family became her family.  Over the years as her family grew to 25 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, Pat has always looked forward to and has been grateful for the time she has been able to spend with them.  Because Pat enjoys receiving mail, she always remembers her grandchildren with a card and gift on their birthdays.  For years, they anticipated receiving the annual Halloween card with a $1 bill in it…something they really got a kick out of as they became teenagers.

Daughter Julie adds, “Mom loves her family and is especially proud of ALL her offspring.  She shows up for recitals, graduations, holidays, birthdays, etc.  She has helped out with babysitting so parents can get out for a few hours or for a few days.”  Treating her family to beach vacations complete with entertaining shows and activities provided them with memories they will remember forever.  She has cheerfully “suffered” through many animated movies (the only kind of movie she abhors!), just to please the younger children.  All the kids have been taught how to play her favorite card game, Hand and Foot. The laughter that ensues whenever she “taps” the table letting you know it’s your turn is priceless!

Rob states, “I also admire how Mom has been a lifelong learner, primarily through her voracious reading habits.”  Each day begins with reading the newspaper for current local and world events.  If whatever Pat is reading in the paper or one of the several magazines she subscribed to reminds her of one of the kids, they are sure to receive the clipping!  Pat passed on her love of reading to her children and grandchildren by reading to them and making sure they had a library card.  

While caring for family, Pat also gave of her time to her church and community. She volunteered at her church in various ways, helped at the elementary school, was a member of and organized fundraisers for the Children’s Leukemia Foundation, and befriended the elderly at a local assisted living facility. Mary Pat states that, “Even when she joined a bowling league for some ‘me time’, she couldn’t stop herself from saying yes to being the secretary when they asked for her help!”

Pat has enjoyed travels and adventures around the country and beyond, visiting and/or making friends everywhere she goes.  Pat’s youngest son Rob says,  “I admire the love she has for her family and friends.  She enjoys spending time with all and stays in touch through cards, letters and phone calls on a regular basis.”

Pat is a friend and confidant to her family and friends.   She has ALWAYS been there to lend a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or to offer support.  She has shared lots of laughs as well as some tears and there has never been a doubt of her love for her family, her God or her friends.  “I’ve learned how to love and how to be a good father, brother, uncle and friend,” Pat’s son Rob said. “She’s also passed down her faith in God and Jesus through the Catholic tradition, which has been very important to me.”

Pat taught her offspring to be hard-working, conscientious, kind, and giving people.  Those who know Pat Egan would concur with Rob’s praise, “I would just like her to know that the way she has lived her life has had an impact on so many people.  She’s a terrific example as a parent, a friend, and a person of God. I’m so blessed to be her son. I am grateful for the way she raised me and continue to look up to her as a role model as she navigates health and aging with grace.”