Patricia Madeleine Pastore

HOSPICE FOUNDER PAT PASTORE passed away at the age of 82 after a long illness. At that time, she was enrolled in a Hospice home care service. She is survived by her husband Dick; her children, Susan, Wendy and Patric; 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her oldest son, Richard Jr. passed away in San Antonio, TX within an hour of his mother’s death.

Patricia Casale was born in Providence, RI on September 14, 1936 to Pasquale and Martha (Di Giovanni) Casale. She graduated from Hope High School in 1954 and the Roger Williams General Hospital School of Nursing in 1957. Her love affair with Richard Pastore began in 1953, and they married four days after his graduation from the United States Military Academy on June 8, 1957. Patricia and Richard had four children: Susan Lee, Wendy Jean, Richard Jr. and Patric Luke.

While raising four children, Patricia borrowed whatever time was available to use her nursing skills either as a volunteer (e.g. school nurse in Hanau, Germany), or in a paid position (e.g. Intensive Care nurse in Lafayette, IN). In addition to being a great mother and a superb nurse, she was well-known as an avid reader, a lover of classical music, and a great Italian cook.

In 1973, Patricia and her family moved once again into the Northern Virginia area. There she met Dr. Josephine Magno, a physician who was herself a cancer survivor, and who had begun to practice the Palliative Care, or Hospice concepts of the British Hospice pioneer Dr. Kubler-Ross. Pat began a ministry of providing nursing care for Dr. Magno’s patients. Within a year, Josephine and Pat were convinced that an organization dedicated to the Hospice Concept was needed in the Northern Virginia area. Pat also volunteered alongside Dick serving HOPE – an organization that provides support and counseling to women who facing unwanted pregnancies.

Together, Josephine, Pat, Dick, and their friends - Dorothy and Larry Garrett - inspired by Josephine and Pat, created Hospice of Northern Virginia. Currently known as Capital Caring, it continues to offer hospice care throughout the National Capital Area. The primary source of Hospice Care is home care, allowing the terminally ill to die in dignity in their own homes. Pat followed that very pattern, and died peacefully in her own bed surrounded by family.

Pat recognized that all Hospice patients did not have the support systems necessary to provide care for them at home or that their support systems (e.g. family) could not sustain that support without periodic respite. An in-patient Hospice facility was needed. Again, Pat pioneered the development of an in-patient unit that was eventually designed and built to provide that in-patient care. An agreement was reached with Arlington County, VA for the lease of an obsolete school facility for $1/year to be used as a Hospice in-patient facility. Pat was instrumental in the design of that facility, ensuring that it had the features necessary to provide the palliative care that is the Hospice concept hallmark today. That facility continues to function as an in-patient Hospice Care unit today.

Pat set the standard for holistic nursing care in Hospice of Northern Virginia including that for in-patient facilities. Demonstrating her desire to always lead from the front, she worked there as a nurse for 25 years! She accepted a well-earned retirement in 1999.

Visitation for family and friends will be at Murphy Funeral Home in Falls Church, VA on Thursday, December 6 from 5-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mark Catholic Church on Vale Road in Vienna, VA at 11:30 am on Friday, December 7. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Missionhurst.