Obituary of Patricia Kathleen Quinn

KEENE - Patricia Kathleen Quinn of Mountain Meadows, Keene Valley, passed away peacefully at home on May 28, 2012. Born on October 8, 1924 in Cashmere, Washington, she was the daughter of Fred and Mary (Williams) Walker. She married Nicolas A. Quinn on September 15, 1945, and was a bookkeeper and clerk to the Ketchikan Public Utilities Department in Ketchikan, Alaska during World War II. Pat and Nick moved to the East Coast after their marriage. They resided in Pelham (Westchester County) until 1972, when they relocated their family to their summer home in Keene Valley. Pat was a devoted parishioner of St. Brendan's Roman Catholic Church in Keene, New York. In 1967, she became a Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Pat was proud to be Adirondack 46er number 827, and was a long-standing member of the Adirondack Mountain Club. She climbed many of the High Peaks as a member of ATIS, and was one of the pioneers of the Keene Youth Commission program. She bequeathed a true love of the mountains, the rivers and the Adirondack wilderness to her children and grandchildren, many of whom are themselves current or aspiring 46ers. To celebrate her 80th birthday, she climbed to the summit of Indian Head at the Lower Ausable Lake with her family. She was the quintessential combination of a true lady and a modern woman, and an inspiration to all who knew her. She is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Quinn of Keene Valley, her daughter-in-law Sheryl Quinn, of Keene and five sons: Barrett and his wife Stephanie of Saranac Lake, Michael and his wife Beth of Saranac Lake, Thomas and his wife Genny of Keene Valley, Sean and companion Leela Whitcomb-Hewitt of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, and Andrew and his wife Amy of Lake Placid. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Cassie Quinn Phillips and husband Marc, Lauren, Nicholas, Logan, McCayla, Gabrielle, Eljahi, Patrick, Kevin, Caitlin and Megan Quinn. She was predeceased by her husband, Nicholas and her sons, James and Jeremy. Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30 at the Clark Funeral Home in Lake Placid. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Thursday, May 31 at St. Brendan's Roman Catholic Church in Keene. Burial will take place at Norton Cemetery in Keene, after which her family will welcome friends to celebrate Pat's life at Mountain Meadows, her beloved Keene Valley home. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Pat can be made to High Peaks Hospice or Catholic Charities. . .