Patricia Ann Coolican

After graduating from the Onondaga Valley Academy in 1953 she worked for the Easy Washing Machine Company before taking a position as assistant to the Executive Director of the Radiological Society of North America, which she enjoyed immensely and remembered with great fondness.

In 1962 she married J. Richard (Dick) Coolican and together began the joyful pursuit of building their family, which signaled her next occupation: “Mother Extraordinaire” to six amazing children. It was a position and a passion that she excelled at for 56 years.

In 1972 the Coolicans relocated to South Florida where Patricia began forging relationships with people who became lifelong friends. She was a devoted meditator and practitioner of prayer; she loved to laugh, take road trips, and spend time with family and friends; she adored playing cards and shooting pool with her grandchildren; and she was delighted to drink coffee on her porch while enjoying a good storm and the sight of her beautiful, lovingly tended to garden.

Extraordinary in ways too many to count, Patricia is most admired for her boundless loving spirit and wisdom, her graceful beauty and unending devotion to family and friends.

She was a steadying force in so many people’s lives. Those who knew her best agree: It was as if Patricia knew the secret to life and was thrilled to share that joy and connection to the unseen with others. Most impressive was her innate capacity for meeting life’s challenges with faith and understanding and a deep conviction in the goodness of life, people and the human spirit.

She is survived by her devoted husband, John Richard; four sons, John Francis (spouse, Lisette Artigas), Timothy Joseph (spouse, Patrice Capalbo), Michael Peter and Martin Andrew; two daughters, Bridget Louise and Erin Marie Coolican-Dickman (spouse, Brett Allen); and 10 grandchildren, Christian, Simon, Miranda, Timothy, Jordan, Joshua, Joseph, Sean, Lily and Lola.

Patricia was preceded in death by her mother, Ann Hennessey; father, John Richard “Red” Hennessey; brothers, Tom Hennessey and John R. “Dick” Hennessey; and a niece, Nancy Hennessey.

Please join us at St. Patrick Church on Saturday, September 21, 2019 in Palm Beach Gardens FL for the funeral proceedings. There will be a welcome gathering at 10:30am in the chapel followed by the Funeral Mass at 11:00am in the main church. A Celebration of Life reception will be held after the Mass in the church hall. Inurnment will be at Mepkin Abbey Columbarium located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina at a time to be determined.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent in Patricia's name to Mepkin Abbey, 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd.,

Moncks Corner, SC 29461 or Trustbridge Hospice, Sunflower Group, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.