Melanie Ann Patrinicola

Sunday, May 4, 2025 at one o'clock pm

The Manor Tavern 15819 Old York Road Monkton

Lunch will be served

We look forward to celebrating this very special lady with love, laughter & fond memories

Kindly RSVP by April 30 to Anne Marie 410.303.6399 or [email protected]

Melanie Ann Patrinicola, “Miss Mel”, died February 1, 2025 in the care of Gilchrist Hospice after suffering two strokes in December. She was living at Broadmead retirement community since the loss of her husband Paul in 2022.

Melanie was born in Baltimore and raised in Dundalk with her brother Peter by parents Florence and Pete Yodzis. She graduated from State Teachers College in 1962 with a degree in Elementary Education. Her friends say she was “quite the go getter”, participating in the May Court, Sweetheart Court and the JV Cheerleading team. She met her future husband, Paul, at Towson as well as her dear friend group who, after 60 plus years of friendship, would come to call themselves “the golden girls”. Every year, even through 2023, they took a girl’s weekend trip, and it was absolutely one of her favorite times.

Melanie and Paul married on June 16, 1962. She was teaching Fourth grade at Charlesmont Elementary at the time. Their first house was in Randallstown where Anne Marie and Paul Andrew were born. In 1973 they built a house in Pylesville and moved. Melanie became a full-time homemaker and was an officer in the Highland Homemakers Club.

She threw herself into raising my brother and me. She made homemade granola, hand sewed our Halloween costumes, threw us themed birthday parties where she made everything herself and most importantly… hid half the things we did bad from Dad. Every week she planned dinners and made sure we each had a favorite on the menu. To this day there is nothing I love more than “Mom’s meatloaf”. She loved Christmas and was famous for her perfectly wrapped presents and handmade bows. We called them “Melanie bows” and we’d all save them to wrap presents the next year. Her Christmas cookies were unreal. Chocolate surprise and Italian biscotti were everyone’s favorites, and she’d put them out for Christmas morning while we opened gifts.

Melanie loved to bake and entertain and even had a small catering business “Cornucopia” with her good friends Sandy and Carol. The three were fabulous cooks and bakers and they did quite well. When she went back to work full time it was as the office manager at Nutshell Enterprises where she stayed until retirement. She enjoyed needlepoint and cross stitch, reading and cooking but mostly her life was about her friends and family. Although mostly reserved, she prized her friendships more than anything. She would often share stories about her friends- happy or sad- and get as emotional as if it was her own story she was telling. A side of her few probably knew.

She and Paul were blessed to share 60 years of marriage. They loved traveling the East Coast and New England was their favorite destination. There’s probably not a small shore town with quaint shops and good food they haven’t been to. The house was always filled with handcrafted goods from wherever they’d been. On weekends they would tool around Lancaster PA browsing antique shops and stopping for ice cream. Mom loved to decorate and collect antiques. She had incredible collections of tin molds and Swiss folk art pottery arranged everywhere. Their home on Ridge Road was incredibly special to her. She loved her kitchen, the garden and screened in porch. Every time I’d call that’s where she’d be. She did a wonderful job making that house a home for all of us.

As a Mom, she taught us the meaning of kindness and showed us strength. She made us work hard so we didn’t take things for granted and was selfless in raising us, even as adults. She challenged us to be the best version of ourselves and was by our sides right or wrong, win or lose. Her smile and kindness will be missed.

Melanie is survived by daughter Anne-Marie Smouse and son Paul Andrew Patrinicola.

Arrangements are in progress for a memorial/life celebration service and will be updated here when available.