Patricia was born on March 23rd 1951 in Manchester, England. She was a “blue baby” with congenital heart defects known as Tetralogy of Fallot. As a child she had a pioneering surgery developed by cardiac surgeons Alfred Blalock and Helen Taussig. This, along with a further major surgery at age 20, allowed her to live a healthy life for many years. She graduated from Lancasterian High School.
In 1972 Patricia married Philip Griggs and they had two children, Carina (Griggs) Griggs-Richter and Susan (Griggs) Hein-Griggs. She loved children and took joy in parenting. In 1988 they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Patricia worked as an Environmental Studies Assistant at Barclay School which was her daughters’ school, gardening and taking care of the school animals. In Cincinnati she was a carer to a boy with special needs and later a nanny for several years to two beloved young boys. She also acted as a foster parent and built close, mothering relationships with the foster children.
On April 22nd 2000 Patricia married Stephen Kelly and they moved to Spring Hill, Florida. Patricia then worked for an organization called The Angelus, who support people with profound physical disabilities. She had a gift of loving and accepting people just as they were and the job at the Angelus fitted her perfectly.
Patricia is survived by her husband Stephen Kelly, daughters Carina and Susan, grandchildren Poppy Richter, Samuel Richer, Isabella Hein-Griggs, Thomas Hein-Griggs, Rachel Hein-Griggs and Elena Hein-Griggs, along with step-daughters Jennifer Bonea, Ann Marie Carroll, step-grandchildren Jonathan and Adrian Carroll and Godchildren Terri Johnson and Buncheang Rath. She is also survived by her brother Terence Hession.
Patricia is preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Olive (Rudd) Hession and sisters Sheila Hession, Phyllis Woodward and Susan Dent.
A memorial service will take place at 10am on May 20th at Montgomery Community Church, 11251 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45249. Donations can be made in Patricia’s memory to The Angelus, 12413 Hudson Avenue, Hudson, FL 34669.
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