Pat, Mom, Nana…Patricia E. Ryan, age 87, of Rochester passed away peacefully on Monday May 27, 2024 at home, surrounded by family. She was the loving wife of Vincent Ryan, who passed away three days earlier. They celebrated their 63rd anniversary earlier in May and are now together in God’s house.
Pat was born in Brooklyn, NY to Frank and Helen (Rytelewski) Esposito. She grew up in Brooklyn spending summers on the family farm in Rochester. She graduated from High School in Brooklyn in 1955 and then enrolled in the St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in New Bedford, graduating in 1958. Upon graduating and earning her RN license, she stayed on at St. Luke’s hospital working in the ER and the OR where she loved the fast pace and constant variety of cases. While working at St. Luke’s, she continued her education, earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boston College, going on to teach medical surgical nursing for St. Luke’s School of Nursing. St. Luke’s is also where she met and fell in love with Vinny.
Pat and Vinny were married in 1961, and rented a small house in Acushnet, living there until they moved to Rochester in 1965. Like Vinny, Pat was very active in the local community. She served on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee for thirteen years. After leaving the school committee, she was appointed to the Rochester Finance committee where she served for seven years until she was elected to the Board of Selectmen, where she served for five years. Leaving politics behind, she began volunteering for the Rochester Council on Aging. She served as the Chairwoman of the COA Board of Directors for four years and was instrumental in the success of the breakfast program at the senior center. In 2011, she was named Standard Times Woman of the Year for her efforts at the COA. In 2019, the COA dedicated the kitchen as Pat’s Place with a quote from Audrey Hepburn, “As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and one for helping others.” This is how Pat lived her life.
She is survived by her brother Frank Esposito of Tecopa, California, son Michael and his wife Christine of Rochester, Daughter Kimberly and her partner David Hirshlag of Rochester, and two grandchildren, Andrew and Sarah Ryan. She was loved dearly and will be missed.
There will be a celebration of life in the coming weeks. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a generous donation to the Rochester Senior Center.
