Patricia Colleen Raczynski

Patricia Raczynski, a beautiful and resilient woman, died peacefully on Monday surrounded by her loving family. Many attributes characterized Pat, but she valued family above all else. Pat was an only child who was orphaned at ten years old and raised by an aunt and uncle in Chicago during the Depression. She was determined that she would create the family she had not had, and her success at that will be her biggest legacy.

Pat was a stunning woman, but her beauty did not define her. Those who knew her quickly discovered a humor, a grace and a strength, all of which sustained her during the difficult periods of her life. She was a devout Catholic and a perpetual optimist, always focusing on the good things in life, and teaching her children to do the same.

Although she did not have the opportunity to attend college, she valued education. She frequently said she would have liked to have been a nurse, but with that option gone she did "the next best thing and married a doctor!" In 1944 she married James Edward Bresette, II, with whom she had her five children. They started their marriage in Chicago while he finished medical school, lived in Omaha and Seattle during his stints with the Navy, and lived in Rochester, MN while he had his residency at the Mayo Clinic. The growing family settled in Kansas City in 1951.

Pat spent those years as a wife, mother and homemaker. She loved reading and shared that passion for literature with her children. Her creative outlet was cooking and baking, and she was stellar at it. Her family looked forward to coming home to the aromas from the kitchen, where there could be homemade bread, pies, meringues or cream puffs. She tried her hand at international cuisines long before it was trendy, and fed her family Asian, Indian, Italian and Mexican meals in the 1960s Midwest.

She also was an active volunteer as a member of the Kansas City Junior League, the Kansas City Philharmonic Guild and her church ladies auxiliary. She was an avid and accomplished bridge player and shared that with her many friends.

Sadly, she was widowed in 1962. Still a young woman and raising five children alone, this was a difficult time, but her stoicism taught her children a valuable life lesson. But, in 1965, she met and married the second love of her life, Stanley F. Raczynski, who also had been widowed. They left Kansas City in 1979 and moved to McAllen, TX to enjoy retirement and warm weather. Together, they shared a wonderful life of travel, golf, wonderful friendships and, of course, time with members of their combined families.

Pat and Stan had the opportunity to visit China, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, Alaska, the Scandinavian countries, as well as most of Europe and the Caribbean. They continued to remark on how lucky they were to have children and grandchildren who loved one another and got along, and they loved treating those family members to shared vacations.

In 1996, Pat and Stan moved to Sun City in Georgetown, TX to be closer to family. They continued to play golf and bridge and began playing their daily game of Cross Crib before they enjoyed their evening cocktail. Life had slowed down but they enjoyed each other's companionship. In December 2012, Pat was widowed again and she was devastated to be without her partner of 47 years. Again she moved, this time to the Summit at Westlake Hills, where she could be closer to her two Austin daughters. Although the past 14 months were hard on her, she remained a beautiful woman to the end, still greeting the world with a smile and her lipstick on. Her family will miss that smile, but remember her always over shared meals, discussions of books and games of cards.

She is survived by her daughters Judith Anne Mahoney (Tim), Mary Patricia Bresette (Rob Buccino), Lida Bresette Zolno (Ron) and Barbara Bresette-Mills (Jack), and by six grandchildren, Jessica Anne Thro, Aaron Bresette, Daniel Mahoney, Mark Mahoney, David Zolno and Nora Buccino. She is also survived by her step-sons Ronald Raczynski (Sheila), Stanley Raczynski, her step-daughter Nancy Goodman (Bill), their loving children and grandchildren. Stan's granddaughter Debe Hauschild was particularly close to Pat. Preceding her in death were her husbands James Edward Bresette II (18 years) and Stan Raczynski (47 years), her son James Edward Bresette III, her step-daughter Patricia Snow and her granddaughter Rachel Colleen Zolno.

The family would like to thank the ICU team and all the staff at Brackenridge Hospital for their support. They truly helped make Pat's last days comfortable. Contributions can be sent in Pat's name to Hospice Austin. Funeral arrangements are by Weed-Corley-Fish on North Lamar. A Catholic funeral mass will be said for Pat on Friday, March 14 at St. John Neumann at 11 a.m.