Patricia Kelly Roche

Patricia (Pat) died at age 84 on February 9, 2020 after a long illness. She is survived by her husband, John (Jack) Roche, her daughter, Janet Roche, her son, Keith Roche, and her granddaughters, Aleah Roche and Giovanna Roche. Pat was born in Brooklyn, New York to John and Alice Kelly on June 15, 1935. She attended St. John’s University College in Brooklyn on a scholarship awarded by the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, graduating in 1957. She later received an M. A. in English literature from New York University. She and Jack were married in September 1957. They raised their two children in Brooklyn Heights where Pat began writing and illustrating children’s books inspired by her own children and her many pets. Seven of her books were published by Dial Press. Later she became an accomplished watercolor artist. She also immersed herself in collecting British watercolor paintings from the 19th Century on her frequent trips with Jack to London, a city she loved, as well as contemporary paintings and prints by American and European artists. The large collection she built was auctioned recently and the proceeds donated to St. John’s University to fund a scholarship program in her name.

She and Jack moved to an apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan in 1998. She loved to walk in Central Park with her dog, Buddy. She enjoyed the cultural life of the city and delighted in watching parades on Fifth Avenue. She had many friends at the National Academy of Art School on East 89th Street in Manhattan who shared her artistic interests. She was a loving and beloved wife, mother and friend.

A visitation will be held from 4 PM to 8 PM on Thursday February 13, 2020 at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, 1076 Madison Avenue, New York, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 AM on Friday February 14, 2020 at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, 980 Park Avenue, New York, NY. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Patricia Kelly Roche Scholarship Fund at St. John’s University. Donations should be sent to Sean Brady, Clarfeld 520 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591 or to the website www.stjohns.edu/pkr.