Pat was born in Oakland, CA, to Paul John Bolcioni and Jean Elizabeth Arlett, she passed away peacefully at home in South San Francisco.
She grew up in the small Northern California towns of Quincy and Vallecito. She graduated from Bret Harte High School, in Angels Camp, CA.
She attended college and university in San Jose, CA, becoming a computer programmer.
She survived many medical setbacks over the years. She survived a car accident in the 1960s where her sister was driving and the car hit a bear on a dark country road. She survived a second and more life altering accident in the 1970s when the driver of her car hit a telephone pole and she broke her neck. She was told she would be a paraplegic, but she defied the doctors, learned to walk again, and lived a full active life. In 2023 she endured a hard fought battle with bladder cancer that ultimately claimed her life.
The happiest time of her life was meeting the love of her life Reynold (Fitz) FitzPatrick. They wed in 1984 in San Jose, CA and while she didn’t have children of her own, she enjoyed being with her step-children, John and Kelley, and her nephew, Shawn.
She was most certainly a cat-lady! While she never had more than two at any given time, she was never without a purring cat on her lap. She loved Timi, Bandit, Freya, Ponci, and Bella so much and they brought her great joy over the past 50 years.
She was also a voracious book reader who was particularly fond of sci-fi and fantasy but could be found reading all genres including joining friends in a local mystery book club. She enjoyed drinking wine and playing cards with friends and she loved to challenge herself with jigsaw puzzles and word games. She and Fitz traveled several times a year to Reno to play in keno tournaments and it was always an opportunity to meet up with old friends whom they’d met over the years. She enjoyed spending time at their place in Placerville, while also supporting Fitz as he enjoyed his retirement working on the Swanton Pacific Railroad. Wherever she would go, she was sure to make friends - she was liked by many.
She and Fitz moved to South San Francisco in 1990 so Fitz could be closer to his work in the operations center of PG&E in San Francisco. She quickly found her new community in the South San Francisco Public Library.
She spent 20+ years as a volunteer with the library’s literacy program, Project Read, tutoring adults to better their reading and writing skills to succeed in college, get a better job, and be able to enjoy a good book. She also volunteered as the question master for Project Read’s annual Trivia Challenge fundraising event. She was a dedicated library supporter serving as the Secretary for the Friends of the SSF Library, an active and contributing member of the Library Board including serving as the Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Board, and acting as Secretary of the South San Francisco Public Library Foundation.
She was involved in the 2016 Library Strategic Plan process, remodels of Main and Grand Avenue Libraries, and worked diligently on the planning for the new Library and Parks & Recreation Community Center which opened in 2023.
She had a tremendous impact on the individuals she tutored, the programs she participated in, and the community she served. She enjoyed her ability to make a difference and in 2020 she was recognized and honored by the South San Francisco Mayor and City Council for her 30 years of service to the City of South San Francisco.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 36 years, Reynold (Fitz) FitzPatrick; step-son John FitzPatrick; father Paul Bolcioni and step-mother Alba; mother Jean and step-father Walter Hall Sr.; parents-in-law John FitzPatrick and Helen; brother Walter Hall Jr.; and sister Cricket Hall.
She is survived by her step-daughter Kelley FitzPatrick, grand-daughter Keira; nephew Shawn Hall and husband Richard De Ponte; sister Virginia (Kookie) Niehoff and husband Brandon; sister-in-law Maureen Thrush; brother-in law Brooks FitzPatrick and wife MaryBeth, nephews Shawn, Ryan, Sam, Chris, and Walter Eric Hall III.
She will be greatly missed by her close friends, including Rose and Dave Nice, children Rita and Pam; Vera and Andy McLean, children Laura and David; Joanne; Ardell; Trudi; Cheryl; and Valerie.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation in her honor to The Purrfect Catch www.thepurrfectcatch.org; or Project Read - South San Francisco Public Library, 901 Civic Campus Way, So. San Francisco, CA 94080, projectread@ssf.net
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