Patricia (Leonard) Shorey, 83, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. She is now reunited with her loving husband of 60 years, Gilbert T. Shorey, who predeceased her only 18 months ago.
Born in West Enfield, Maine on February 15, 1936, she was the second of eleven children to the late Francis V. and Odella (Shorette) Leonard.
It was while selling tickets at the West Enfield drive-in movie theater that she met the love of her life in 1953, at the age of 17. Gib had just signed up for the Air Force, and they corresponded through letters for four years until they married in 1957. They moved to Connecticut and both worked at Pratt and Whitney until she became a mother and full-time homemaker extraordinaire. There was never a laundry stain she couldn’t tackle, and she made the best birthday cakes. She later returned to work as a home organizer for a prominent Hartford attorney who gifted her with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris, France.
She was an active member of St. Mary’s Church in East Hartford and derived great joy with her dearest friends through Our Lady of Lourdes Mothers’ Circle.
They took an early retirement in the 1990s and went back to Maine to care for all of their elder family members. For Patty and Gib, giving was living.
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Shorey of Farmington, CT; her son, Steven Shorey and his wife, Terri of Tolland, CT; three grandchildren, Emily Garfinkel, Kevin Shorey, and Natalie Shorey; her brothers, Vaughn Leonard and his wife, Joan of West Enfield, ME, Gerald Leonard and his wife,Theresa of Lincoln, ME, K. David Leonard and his wife, Roberta of LaGrange, ME, and William Leonard of Enfield, ME; her sister, F. Marie Leonard of Old Town, ME, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In addition to her husband, Gilbert, she was predeceased by two infant sons, Gary and Carl; and five brothers, Joseph, Eugene, D. Michael, Lawrence, and Dennis Leonard.
A memorial service in celebration of Patty’s life will be planned in Maine and announced at a later date.
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