Patricia Hickey Masri

June 6, 1939 – September 9, 2026

Patricia Hickey Masri was born on June 6, 1939, in Petersburg, Virginia, although she spent much of her life claiming she was born in Boston. Boston was where she spent some of the happiest years of her childhood, living in Jamaica Plain with her beloved father, Roger; her beautiful mother, Ruth; her older brother, Roger, whom she worshipped; and her younger brother, Michael, whom she tortured and adored. Patricia was fiercely proud of her Irish roots and never tired of telling people about her grandmother’s thatched-roof cottage in Ireland.

Patricia spent her teenage years in Richmond and initially thought getting married sounded like a better plan than going to college. She lasted one year at the phone company before dumping the boyfriend and enrolling at Longwood Teachers’ College. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of her life. At Longwood, she found a career she loved and, perhaps more importantly, the friends who would stay with her for the rest of her life: Sue, Lois, Ginny, and Lea, otherwise known as her partners in crime. Gail joined the crew when they moved to Northern Virginia. As young teachers, they cashed out their retirement accounts to finance a trip to Europe, setting the tone for decades of adventures. Until COVID interrupted the tradition, they reunited every year at Rehoboth Beach for more shenanigans.

Patricia loved teaching young children. One of her proudest achievements was teaching in Fairfax County’s pilot Head Start program, a full year before the federal initiative began. It was a natural fit for Patricia, who struggled to turn away from someone in need and believed deeply in giving every child a fair chance. Head Start’s commitment to supporting the whole child, not just academically, resonated deeply with her.

Then, one fateful night in 1964, Patricia met the love of her life, Sidney Masri, at a party in Arlington that she almost didn't attend.

They bonded over their shared love of travel while somehow overlooking the fact that they came from wildly different backgrounds. They dated and broke up for three years trying to figure out their differences before realizing they couldn’t live without each other. Their families were less quick to embrace the union, but Patricia’s brother Roger stepped in and threw them a wonderfully eclectic wedding in New York City surrounded by their friends.

A year later, their self-described “Prince of Peace,” David, was born and did what his parents had not quite managed to do themselves: brought the two families together. Sidney’s family grew to love Patricia as one of their own, and the feeling was mutual. Less than two years later, Rebecca arrived, and their family was complete.

Patricia was a devoted wife and mother. She stayed home to raise her family despite having little enthusiasm for housework and even less for making dinner. What she lacked in organizational skills, she more than made up for in how fiercely she loved her family.

Patricia seemed to collect friends wherever she went, including one particularly important one she found in a bar: Jonathan. He became a fixture at Chandler Street and somehow managed the rare feat of being an equally close friend to both Pat and Sid.

Pat and Sid never lost the love of travel that first brought them together. Of all the places they visited, Maine held a special place in Patricia’s heart, and they returned there again and again over the years. With their dear friends Betty and Frank, they traveled around the world and nearly made it to all seven continents. Antarctica was the lone holdout, thanks to inclement weather. A world map covered with pins marking their travels hung prominently in the dining room at Chandler Street, a reminder of a lifetime spent exploring the world together.

Chandler Street became the center of their world. Pat and Sid loved filling their home with friends, family, and even the people who took such loving care of the house and gardens. Everyone who walked through their door was treated like an honored VIP. Whether you came for one of their legendary parties, an elegant dinner, a holiday celebration, or simply stopped by, Patricia made it clear that she was genuinely delighted you were there.

No description of life at Chandler Street would be complete without the Westies. Patricia adored them, and over the years Sophie, Sam, and Baxter became part of the family. Her love for Westies lasted a lifetime, as did her firm belief that hers were particularly special.

Perhaps no role brought Patricia more joy than being a grandmother. She was a thoroughly smitten and unapologetically indulgent grandmother to Jack, 21, Jacob, 20, Luke, 19, and Riley, 17. Pat and Sid were fixtures at games, birthday parties, school events, and countless other moments. But ask the grandchildren and they will all tell you that their favorite memories were the sleepovers: cheesy noodles, perfect eggs, lots of ice cream, and making a current in the swimming pool while the dogs and Pat cheered them on. It also helped that they could do no wrong in her eyes and the usual rules were always negotiable.

Patricia was a cheerleader to anyone lucky enough to enter her world. She was genuinely interested in people and could listen to you talk forever, giving you her full attention and making you feel that what you had to say really mattered.

She was fiercely loyal to the people she loved. Once you were part of Patricia’s life, you were part of it for good. She held onto friendships for decades, adored her family, celebrated the successes of those she loved as if they were her own, and was always in their corner.

She was also dynamic, beautiful, and just a little bit vain, right up until the end. David faithfully took her to get her hair “done” every week, and it remained a perfect shade of red until her last day. She had a huge smile that could light up a room and a lifelong dedication to white wine, pepperoni pizza, lobster, blueberry pie Coke, and chocolate.

Patricia’s devotion to Sidney never wavered. She stood by the love of her life through his long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, caring for him until his death in 2024. After a lifetime of adventures together, losing Sidney left an enormous hole in her life.

Patricia is survived by her brother, Michael Hickey; her son, David, his wife, Sally, and their children, Jack and Luke; her daughter, Rebecca, her husband, Joe, and their children, Jacob and Riley; as well as so many beloved nieces and nephews and a remarkable circle of close friends.

Because helping others came naturally to Patricia, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to All Ages Read Together, the preschool program led by her daughter-in-law, Sally. AART provides free school-readiness programs and books to preschool-aged children who might not otherwise have access to those opportunities. Supporting its work is a fitting way to remember Patricia by continuing something that mattered deeply to her throughout her life: helping those who needed it.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2026, at National Funeral Home, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Virginia 22042, followed by a reception at 2941 Restaurant, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.

The family asks that donations be made in her memory to All Ages Read Together in lieu of flowers: https://allagesreadtogether.networkforgood.com/projects/305780-mary-patricia-pat-hickey-masri-memorial-fund