Patricia M Gold

Patricia McEvoy Gold, or Pat, to her friends and colleagues, passed away peacefully, Fri-day night on the 25th of November. Pat was born Isabella McEvoy in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the middle of the Irish Civil War, shortly before the start of the Great Depression. Having lost her mother in infancy, Pat was raised by her grandmother and grandfather in a devout, classically Catholic home. She excelled in her studies and was granted a scholarship to a prestigious school in Northern Ireland, where she gained certificates in business and music. During World War II, she lived in Liverpool, England, working for Lockheed, surviving many bombings. After the war, Pat was the first “alien” to be hired into the U.S. Armed Forces, where she began work at a laboratory in Erding, Germany, run by E. Allen Gold, a chemist who had been recruited by the wartime Office of Strategic Services, the nascent beginnings of our Central Intelligence Agency. The couple fell in love, marrying in Paris in 1951, and Allen brought his new wife to the United States in 1953, that he would be able to complete his doctorate in inorganic chemistry, and await with great joy, the birth of their daughter, Mary Pat, in the Fall of that year. After completing his doctorate from the University of Missouri, Allen moved his family to Washington, D.C., to re-sume his work with the Central Intelligence Agency, and the family settled into a home in Alexandria, where Pat lived until her death. A two-year assignment to Okinawa, Japan in the 1960s introduced Pat to Eastern painting techniques; she quickly embraced the techniques of Sumie and studied under a local master to improve her knowledge of the unique materials and methods used in Chinese watercolors. Her study of Japanese culture also introduced her to Ikebana, eventually becoming a member of the Ikenobo school of Japanese flower arrangement. Pat also studied Japanese language and cuisine during her time in Okinawa, and brought these new great loves of Sumie and Ikebana back to her life in the United States. After Allen’s passing in 1979, Pat remained in their family home and established a studio in Old Town Alexandria, as well as a private studio in her own home. A lifelong learner, Pat continued her art education with Henry Wu and Ning Yeh, both world-renowned Sumie artists. Her work was featured as part of Ning Yeh’s “100 Sheet Challenge,” displayed on the internet as part of the national competition. She won numerous awards at juried shows, and sold over 200 paintings during her career. Two be-loved grandsons learned to appreciate art, music, and the beauty of flowers through their grand-mother’s eyes, and proudly attended many of her shows and openings. A great grandson arrived in May 2014, and he and his mother - the newest members of the family - have both enjoyed see-ing the art that is hung throughout the family home while loving Great Grandmother Gold very much. Pat continued her active work in both Sumie and Ikebana, as both student and educator, until her stroke in August of 2015. She finally succumbed to natural causes with her beloved daughter at her side. Her loss will be deeply and long felt. She will be laid to rest next to her long-missed husband, the two now reunited. She is survived by her loving daughter Mary Pat (neenée Gold) Schlickenmaier, son-in-law Herbert William Schlickenmaier, III, two grandsons William (and his wife Elena) and John Schlickenmaier, and a great-grandson, Theodore “Teddy” Schlickenmaier. Friends may call on Monday, November 28, from 4 to 8pm at Demaine Funeral Home 520 S Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. A mass at St. Rita’s Church 3815 Russell Rd., Alexandria, VA will be celebrated on Tuesday 11 am. A Christian burial to follow at Mt Comfort Cemetery, Alexandria, VA. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, any charitable donations be made to St. Rita Catholic School in Alexandria.