Patricia Mary Gilbert
December 8, 1940 – March 30, 2022
Patricia Mary Gilbert, age 81, passed away the evening of March 30, 2022, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Riverview Florida.
She was born Dec. 8, 1940, in Paterson, N.J., to her parents, Catherine and Joseph Reilly. While growing up, Patricia, who preferred Pat, was the local tomboy, enjoying everything outdoors and horsing around with her brothers. After completing secretarial school, Pat first worked as a secretary and throughout her life also worked as a restaurant manager, ran her own hospitality business and made a number of life-long friends at Clover. Pat, affectionately known as “Aunt Pat” by all of her nieces and nephews, was loved by all and considered the heart of her family
Over the years, she lived in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and, finally, retired in Ruskin, Florida. Much to her sons’ daily annoyance, Pat had a lifelong love of classic country music. Her interests also included going to the beach, antiquing, road trips with her girlfriends, helping the family keep up with one another, dancing, attending concerts, gardening, as well as spoiling her beloved and overly furry dogs.
Patricia is survived by her husband, William Gilbert (Ruskin, Fla.); two siblings, Michael Reilly (Washington,D.C.), Lawrence Hoppe (Bedford, New Hampshire); sons, Jeffrey Swierstra (Maple Shade, New Jersey), William Gilbert (Richmond, Virginia); and her many nieces and nephews who regarded her as a second mother.
We invite her family, friends and others to join us in a celebration of Patricia’s life and her place in our hearts at St. Anne Catholic Church, (106 11th Avenue NE, Ruskin, FL 33570) on Friday, April 8, 2022, starting at 9 a.m. and ending around noon. Services consist of a viewing followed by a Catholic mass.
In lieu of flowers, Patricia’s family requests donations be made to a charity, preferably the American Heart Association or SPCA.
She was born Dec. 8, 1940, in Paterson, N.J., to her parents, Catherine and Joseph Reilly. While growing up, Patricia, who preferred Pat, was the local tomboy, enjoying everything outdoors and horsing around with her brothers. After completing secretarial school, Pat first worked as a secretary and throughout her life also worked as a restaurant manager, ran her own hospitality business and made a number of life-long friends at Clover. Pat, affectionately known as “Aunt Pat” by all of her nieces and nephews, was loved by all and considered the heart of her family
Over the years, she lived in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and, finally, retired in Ruskin, Florida. Much to her sons’ daily annoyance, Pat had a lifelong love of classic country music. Her interests also included going to the beach, antiquing, road trips with her girlfriends, helping the family keep up with one another, dancing, attending concerts, gardening, as well as spoiling her beloved and overly furry dogs.
Patricia is survived by her husband, William Gilbert (Ruskin, Fla.); two siblings, Michael Reilly (Washington,D.C.), Lawrence Hoppe (Bedford, New Hampshire); sons, Jeffrey Swierstra (Maple Shade, New Jersey), William Gilbert (Richmond, Virginia); and her many nieces and nephews who regarded her as a second mother.
We invite her family, friends and others to join us in a celebration of Patricia’s life and her place in our hearts at St. Anne Catholic Church, (106 11th Avenue NE, Ruskin, FL 33570) on Friday, April 8, 2022, starting at 9 a.m. and ending around noon. Services consist of a viewing followed by a Catholic mass.
In lieu of flowers, Patricia’s family requests donations be made to a charity, preferably the American Heart Association or SPCA.