Patricia Catherine Ferreira born and raised in Gilroy CA, died at age 63 of cancer. Patricia is survived by her son Antonio Edward Ferreira and her daughters Ann Marie Gutto and Theresa Webb-Harding. Patricia was also lovingly known as Ms. Pat and this is what one of her fellow teacher and friend has written in her honor.
Ms. Pat as she was so affectionately called by children and adults alike left us Thursday, May 28th, 2009 to be with her Mom and husband she so dearly loved. Although she will be missed by so many her spirit lives on in all the many lives she has touched while here on Earth.
If you knew one thing about Ms. Pat it was how she loved children and she devoted her life to taking care of them. She worked in child care for many years and she brought joy to every child she came in contact with. She had a knack for reaching out to the little ones who needed her guidance and extra attention and always made sure they felt special when they were in her care. Ms. Pat made everyone in the room feel that they were her favorite and the most special.
Ms. Pat took her job home with her, literally. She extended the invitation to many of her students over the years to come to her home and made them promises of pizza and root beer floats. She made good on every promise she made and how she enjoyed spending her time with them.
Ms. Pat was also a special friend to many people. She had the most infectious, boisterous laugh that could bring a smile to anyone even on the most depressing days. She would walk into a room and immediately everyone would lighten up and feel at ease because Ms. Pat was there. She also had a true passion for practical jokes, and truly was better at playing a practical joke on someone than someone playing one on her, then it wasn’t so funny! She would always find humor in the simplicities of life and loved to share stories about her family whenever she would find some one who would listen.
Her family was her most favorite subject especially her children, Tony, Annie, and Theresa. She doted on them every chance she got as any good Italian mother would. She loved being Italian! She would tell many stories of her Mama and what a wonderful cook she was. Ms. Pat also was a wonderful cook and loved to have her friends over and have great food and fun games. She had an open door policy to her home and there were no strangers in her life.
We will miss her for so many reasons, especially her lovable, charismatic personality. Her big, boisterous laugh is now for the angels and left for us in our precious memories of a woman that meant so much to so many. She loved so deeply as we all loved her in the same way. A visitation was held.
