Patricia "Pat" Provencher Skerry

Patricia “Pat” Provencher Skerry was born in Keene, NH on April 30, 1940, where she grew up and raised a family with her husband and best friend Henry “Hank” Wayne Skerry, Sr. Pat passed away on May 26, 2026, at the age of 86 at her home in Southwick, MA. She was surrounded by family, including her cat Finnegan.

In addition to being a devoted wife, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Pat was deeply passionate about education and her career in nursing and social work.

Pat—known as Patti in her younger years—began her journey in healthcare at just 15 years old as an unpaid Candy Striper at Elliott Community Hospital in Keene, New Hampshire, a two-mile walk from her home on Hooper Street. Volunteers were required to be at least 16, but Pat possessed a determination and quiet persuasiveness that would characterize her throughout her life. When she set her mind to something, she found a way to make it happen.

While attending Our Lady of Monadnock, a private high school nestled at the foot of Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, Pat decided she was called to a career in nursing. During her senior year, she secured an interview at St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing in Worcester, Massachusetts, earned acceptance, and began her studies in 1958 shortly after graduation. She ultimately became an accomplished surgical nurse in the same hospital where she had served as a Candy Striper. Pat later worked towards a master’s degree in psychology at Antioch University – New England in Keene, NH and subsequently shifted her professional focus to caring for others as a social worker with Child Protection Services for the State of NH.

It was during nursing school that Pat met Hank. Their courtship blossomed into a lifelong partnership; they were married on November 5, 1960, and spent 63 wonderful years together focused on family, career and life adventures. Pat died peacefully listening to Hank’s favorite playlist, curated by her granddaughter Mikhaila; she sang and tapped her feet along to the music – many of the same songs sung on family road trips - for as long as she had breath. The family invites you to play some good music, raise a toast to Pat, and keep her memory alive.

Pat is survived by her children, Elizabeth Skerry-Hastings; Christa Skerry White and her husband, Guy; Matthew Skerry and his wife, Clare; and daughter-in-law Paris Colt, widow of her son Henry. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Mikhaila Leonard and her husband, Steven; Matthew Hastings; Alexandra Skerry; Deirdre Blackley and her husband, Reed; Gideon Skerry; and Sylvia Skerry; and by her great-granddaughter, Sloane Blackley. Pat was predeceased by her husband Henry Skerry Sr. (1941–2024); her son, Henry Wayne Skerry Jr. (1961–1999); her parents, Raymond and Virginia Provencher; her sister, Marie Carignan; and her beloved dog, Luke.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Bernard Church, 185 Main Street, Keene at a time to be announced. Pat will be buried in the Riverside Cemetery, Chesham, NH. There are no public calling hours.