Welcome to the memorial page for Patricia Boyer. Please feel free to share here.
4 thoughts on “Share Your Thoughts and Memories”
When we were young and living in Upstate New York, our mom created a tradition that we have always cherished. She called it “family time”. The idea was to create some time that we spent together with no distractions and no interruptions.
The idea was very simple, we would unplug the phone and spend time together. This was back in the days of land lines so disconnecting from the world was an order of magnitude easier. We did this regularly and one of her best friends would get a little mad about it. She would say “What if I need to get ahold of you? I can’t call!” Mom’s reply was something like “The point of family time is that nobody can get ahold of us”. She said it politely of course.
I don’t remember everything we did or even too many specifics aside from one. I remember sitting together in the room. Mom is sitting in her rocking chair while Jeremiah and I are sitting comfortably facing her. It is dark outside, and the room is dimly lit by an oil lamp. It was one of those old timey lamps with a glass reservoir for the oil, brass hardware that controlled the wick length and fed the wick from the oil reservoir into the glass chimney. We sit and listen as she reads to us from little house on the prairie and the lamp light flickers casting shadows around the room.
We read different books and if I recall correctly, we also played board games. Most of those specifics are lost to time, but what I most remember is the feeling and the closeness that she created with this tradition. Like so many of the things that she did or traditions she created, it just stays with us to this day. We still love to talk about family time, and I believe I will carry the memory/feeling with me for the rest of my life.
It’s hard to believe Pat is not with us in body any more; I half expected she would just go on and on.
When I left the religion we once shared, she was “supposed” to shun me. She did not, and she was the one person from that group who did not. She is beyond scolding now, and so I hope she doesn’t mind me saying so. She had the courage to be a friend when it would have been easier not to.
She had the courage to pursue an education as a mature student, crisscrossing the country to do so.
I was and am impressed by her resilience, her intelligence, but most of all her kindness.
What a beautiful tribute to your mom. She is and will always be proud of you boys. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. We love you guys xoxo
I’ve only learned this evening of Pat’s passing. I’m just stunned to hear this news my heart is sad for her kids and their families. I have so many memories of Pat when we were both students at Harvard Graduate School of Education. I remember visiting her at her dorm and having at least one class together. And the walks and talks that we shared. And when I went to see her in Santa Fe with other women who were part of a group that they had formed. They were so gracious to include me in their group. I also remember when Pat and I met up for 4th of July this summer after we graduated and we felt so excited that we had great seats and then all of a sudden this big crowd pushed in and we couldn’t see anything! We laughed so much about that. I also remember all of us meeting up and traveling to Maine I think. I also remember how we were all cheering her on when she went for her PhD and just pushed on and did achieve the goals that she set for herself. Something I remember about Pat that I will never forget is her quiet spirit. Her quiet and Gentle Spirit. It’s funny after all these years if not speaking I can still hear her voice gentle and quiet. Once I moved back to California we lost touch and occasionally would get in touch especially when she moved here and we always said we would meet up and very regrettably we never did. Oh I’m so sad to know that she’s gone but I have so many wonderful memories of her from a magical year spent learning and growing and changing at hgse.
When we were young and living in Upstate New York, our mom created a tradition that we have always cherished. She called it “family time”. The idea was to create some time that we spent together with no distractions and no interruptions.
The idea was very simple, we would unplug the phone and spend time together. This was back in the days of land lines so disconnecting from the world was an order of magnitude easier. We did this regularly and one of her best friends would get a little mad about it. She would say “What if I need to get ahold of you? I can’t call!” Mom’s reply was something like “The point of family time is that nobody can get ahold of us”. She said it politely of course.
I don’t remember everything we did or even too many specifics aside from one. I remember sitting together in the room. Mom is sitting in her rocking chair while Jeremiah and I are sitting comfortably facing her. It is dark outside, and the room is dimly lit by an oil lamp. It was one of those old timey lamps with a glass reservoir for the oil, brass hardware that controlled the wick length and fed the wick from the oil reservoir into the glass chimney. We sit and listen as she reads to us from little house on the prairie and the lamp light flickers casting shadows around the room.
We read different books and if I recall correctly, we also played board games. Most of those specifics are lost to time, but what I most remember is the feeling and the closeness that she created with this tradition. Like so many of the things that she did or traditions she created, it just stays with us to this day. We still love to talk about family time, and I believe I will carry the memory/feeling with me for the rest of my life.
It’s hard to believe Pat is not with us in body any more; I half expected she would just go on and on.
When I left the religion we once shared, she was “supposed” to shun me. She did not, and she was the one person from that group who did not. She is beyond scolding now, and so I hope she doesn’t mind me saying so. She had the courage to be a friend when it would have been easier not to.
She had the courage to pursue an education as a mature student, crisscrossing the country to do so.
I was and am impressed by her resilience, her intelligence, but most of all her kindness.
See you around, Pat!
Love,
Roxanne
What a beautiful tribute to your mom. She is and will always be proud of you boys. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. We love you guys xoxo
Uncle Bob & Aunt Rita
I’ve only learned this evening of Pat’s passing. I’m just stunned to hear this news my heart is sad for her kids and their families. I have so many memories of Pat when we were both students at Harvard Graduate School of Education. I remember visiting her at her dorm and having at least one class together. And the walks and talks that we shared. And when I went to see her in Santa Fe with other women who were part of a group that they had formed. They were so gracious to include me in their group. I also remember when Pat and I met up for 4th of July this summer after we graduated and we felt so excited that we had great seats and then all of a sudden this big crowd pushed in and we couldn’t see anything! We laughed so much about that. I also remember all of us meeting up and traveling to Maine I think. I also remember how we were all cheering her on when she went for her PhD and just pushed on and did achieve the goals that she set for herself. Something I remember about Pat that I will never forget is her quiet spirit. Her quiet and Gentle Spirit. It’s funny after all these years if not speaking I can still hear her voice gentle and quiet. Once I moved back to California we lost touch and occasionally would get in touch especially when she moved here and we always said we would meet up and very regrettably we never did. Oh I’m so sad to know that she’s gone but I have so many wonderful memories of her from a magical year spent learning and growing and changing at hgse.