Patricia E. Oetting

Patricia E. Oetting passed on March 7, 2026, at age 83. She was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the only child of Henry Carroll and Evelyn Simpson Carroll. She grew up in New York and New Jersey. Patricia’s childhood was often difficult, facing some severe obstacles coupled with an underlying uncertainty of what tomorrow would bring. Later in life she wrote, “The only constant in my entire life was God, it was then, and it is still to this day.” She completed the 3-year nursing program at St. Michael’s in Newark, New Jersey in 1963. She entered the novitiate of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society Convent in Maryknoll, New York, and lived for 3 years as a nun. After leaving the convent, she met and married Dr. Bill Oetting, a surgeon. They were married 24 years before he passed in 1992. She moved in with a dear friend, June Thomas, who passed in 2008. Patricia worked professionally as a nurse for over 45 years, often on the night shift in emergency rooms in New Jersey, New York, Arizona, and Florida.

In retirement, she went to Haiti 22 times, where she did short-term medical missions, often starting IV’s and giving nebulizer treatments to infants and malnourished children; in Haiti she also helped to bury the dead. She served on medical missions in El Salvador and Kenya. She went into the woods in Brevard and Indian River counties to help the homeless, and when her homeless friends were arrested, she visited them in jail. One day a week, she volunteered at the William Childs Hospice House in Palm Bay visiting dying patients and their families. She did respite care with sick neighbors. And she was active in many ministries at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne, where she taught prayer, served on the health ministry team, contributed to Bible studies and prayed for the healing of many.

Having lived the first 70 years of her life as a Roman Catholic, Patricia also participated in prayer regularly (until the last year of her life) at the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Barefoot Bay, where she befriended and prayed for others.

People asked her why she did so much, and she said her answer was simple, “I try to make a difference for even one person. No one should have to die alone. The scripture says that whatever you do to the least of your brothers you do [to Jesus himself]. Helping people in need helps me.”

At the bedside of a dying patient, Patricia would assure the person that “it was time to reach heaven’s door and go to the place where you will be whole once more.” More than anything else, as a contemplative and a mystic, she wanted to dive into the depths of God for healing and wholeness. And so, we celebrate that for Patricia, her Good Shepherd has guided her to that place where “he will wipe every tear from her eyes,” where death is no more and mourning and crying and pain are no more, and she now sees Jesus face to face as her friend. And we firmly believe that she is leaning into Jesus for a long, long, hug.

A Requiem Eucharist for Patricia will be held at the Historic Chapel of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 3:00pm, Friday, March 20, 2026, with a reception following. Holy Trinity is located at 50 W. Strawbridge Avenue, Melbourne, Florida. All are invited.