Patricia Joan Palazzolo

She was the oldest of 5 children and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She always spoke fondly of the idyllic time of her childhood in 1950’s Detroit. Everyone played outside until the street lights turned on, and that was the sign you had “better be heading home”. She graduated from Servite High School in 1956. She attended MSU, LCC and became a Cardiac Care Nurse in 1975. She was employed by TCI in Lansing, Michigan for many years. She was an owner of PMP Inc. in Williamston, Michigan and dealt in antiques having her own stall inside the “Antique Shop” in town.

As a young adult, her father taught her that if you wanted something you had to work for it and at an early age she had after school jobs. One of those jobs was working at Bommarito’s Ice Cream Shop. It was there that she met her future husband Gasper Palazzolo. She had “no interest” in him at first, but thank God he kept trying. Making the typical, frugal, Gasper mistake of only putting a nickel-at-a-time in the juke box for one song instead of a quarter-for-five, she was not impressed. Apparently Dad was a slow learner because he finally had the sense to ask her to go fishing. And after many trips trolling down Lake Saint Clair and more quarters playing “In the Still of the Night” on the juke box, they married in 1956. In 1964 they moved to Williamston, Michigan, and raised seven sons together, “7 kids in 10 years” she liked to say. They were married for 64 years before he died on November 11, 2020.

Mom was a lifetime learner. From “speedo on the typewriter” during the high school years, through the early years of computing in the “black-hole” of DOS, to her Windows machines, to Apple products, and finally her “jitterbug” phone, she never feared learning new technology (although in her later years the grandchildren would warn each other “get ready for the help calls, Grandma’s got a new phone”). As a lifelong reader, Mom spent what spare time she did have reading books. She dearly loved to read a good book and Dad spent a lot of time building her bookshelves to hold them. As a lifelong writer, she would express herself through her writing; be it the mandatory “Thank You Note”, family cookbooks, letters to her husband expressing a certain displeasure or the opinion column in the 1970’s Detroit News sharing her thoughts on war protestor’s behavior while her own brother was serving on a helicopter in Vietnam. Mom loved her Country and she was very patriotic. Voting was never optional and everyone in the house had to “zip-the-lips!” whenever a President was speaking on the radio or the television set. From Church bingo with the ladies from Wheatfield Township, card games at holidays with her cherished relatives, casino trips, or vacationing in her favorite spot of Alpena, her dry sense of humor and fun-loving spirit always brought a smile to those around her. Fishing and hunting gave her pleasure as well. Married on October 20th, also the first day of pheasant season, each “anniversary” consisted of pheasant hunting with all her kids on “opening day”. More than once she would bag the first buck in the family when deer season arrived. Gardening, cooking, wood carving, painting, sewing, quilting and mosaics were all things that brought her joy.

What brought her the most joy in life was her family. Her sisters and brother called her Patsy, and they looked to their older sister for advice. Her “Alpena relatives” were very special to her. She loved her son’s wives as if they were her own daughters. She never criticized another family member and never gave advice on parenting, unless you asked her for it. Her grandchildren loved her and we see them raising their own children now using some of Grandma’s wisdom. For instance, when teaching fairness: “you cut the candy bar in half and you give your brother the first pick”, or “if you are going to kill each other, do it outside---I just finished cleaning”.

Mom was generous with her time, talents, and treasure. But we can’t write them here because she always said never “toot your own horn”.

Mom knew her God. She practiced His teachings and is now with Him, her parents, her husband Gasper, her brother Richard Gorski and her son David.

Patricia is survived by her sisters Bev (Ted), Judy (Joe, deceased), Joan; sister-in-law Renay Gorski; daughter-n-law Lori; her sons Bob (Collette), John (Nancy), Tom (Darcy), Joe (Lisa), Jim (Kandi), Bill (Missy); 64 Grandchildren/Great Grandchildren; cherished cousins; many nieces and nephews; and her best friend Sara Larson.

The family would like to express gratitude for the wonderful care provided to Mom by Kandi, Amber, Cassie, Caroline, Patti, Abby and Hayley. Cathy and the entire Staff of Sparrow Home Hospice have been much admired and appreciated. What your organization does for family members of the dying renews our faith in humanity. Thank you!

Memorial Donations in Patricia’s name may be made to: The Saint Mary Youth Group at 220 North Cedar St. Williamston, Mi. 48895

Due to Covid-19, a private Funeral Mass will be held. The family does plan to have a public Memorial for both Pat and Gasper some time in 2021. Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be shared at www.grwilliamston.com