Patricia Maneri-Allen

During her 31 years as an instructor in the East Ramapo (N.Y.) Central School District, Pat taught with a boundless warmth and energy that won her the love and respect of her students and fellow teachers. She brought a sense of bold creativity to the classroom, exploring subjects—music, arts, theater and even archaeology—that were outside of the school curriculum. Friends called her “The Mary Poppins of Teaching.”

Following her retirement in 2001, Pat continued to work with young people. Joining the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Organization (R.S.V.P.), she volunteered as a clown at community institutions throughout Rockland County, N.Y. Donning a red nose and colorful garb (Pat was, in fact, known for her keen fashion sense), she would cheer up children at Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw, N.Y., as well as seniors at local assisted living centers. Later, she served as an instructor for the R.C.I.A program at the Church of the Presentation, where she was a parishioner for many years.

She also continued to pursue, and expand upon, her lifelong passion for theater. Traveling to New York City from her residence in Suffern, N.Y., Pat made Broadway her second home. She frequented Manhattan’s Theater District on a monthly basis, catching many of her favorite musicals, including “Brigadoon,” “Wizard of Oz” and “Singin’ In The Rain.” She was a lover of music; friends marveled at her encyclopedic knowledge of American Standards.

Searching for an outlet for her energy post-retirement, Pat took a part-time job at the Hallmark store in Mahwah, N.Y. To those that knew her, the gig made perfect sense: Every year, on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Halloween, Pat made it a point of sending holiday-themed cards to all of her friends and family. She rarely missed sending a card and loved ones received them with glee.

Pat was born in Elmhurst (Queens), NY in 1946, among the first post WWII “baby boomers”. She grew up in Wantagh, and later when the family relocated (1956), Hartsdale, NY. Pat graduated from Maria Regina High School in 1964. After high school, she enrolled at Mercy College in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1968. Following college, she broke immediately into teaching, serving as an instructor at El Dorado Elementary School in Spring Valley, N.Y. while earning her Master’s Degree in Education. She taught at schools across the East Ramapo Central School District, spending several years as an instructor in the district’s Gifted Program.

She is survived by her sister, Joan Kulikowski, her brother-in-law Michael, and their three children, Paul, Ann Bedard (nee Kulikowski) and Peter; her brother, Ken Lamour, his wife, Harriet and their son, Nathan Wise; her brother-in-law, Tom Gargan, and his sons, Scott and T.J. She is predeceased by her sister, Carole Gargan, and her parents, Robert and Anne J. Lamour.

A wake will be held December 18 (4:30pm to 8:00pm) at the Wanamaker & Carlough funeral home (Suffern). The funeral mass will be held at 10:00am December 19 at the Church of the Presentation (Upper Saddle River, NJ), with interment following immediately at Ascension Cemetery in Airmont.

As an alternative to flowers, the family requests donations to the Hudson Valley Humane Society http://www.hvhumane.org/donate/ or the American Heart Association https://donatenow.heart.org/