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Patricia Anne (Heil) Bresnahan, passed away peacefully on September 17th, 2025, at the age of 97.
Pat was born in 1928 in Moundsville, WV. Her family moved to Toledo, OH for a brief time, but eventually settled in Mount Lebanon, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh. After graduating from Mt. Lebanon High School, Pat, foreshadowing her life of caring for others, enrolled in Pittsburgh School of Nursing.
Shortly after graduating nursing school, Pat relocated to Massachusetts to be closer to her sister Ruth’s family and their recently widowed mother. She accepted a job at Norwood hospital as an operating room nurse. Soon after, she was introduced to Charley Bresnahan by her brother-in-law, John Mahon, and Joe Kenney, an FBI colleague of John’s and friend of Charley’s. They met one Saturday evening over pizza and the rest, as they say, is history.
Pat and Charley married in 1953. Together, they raised their three children in Medway, MA and Rockport, MA. They moved to Rockport full-time in 1980 and made their little summer home overlooking the ocean their permanent residence. Rockport was Pat’s happy place and she fully embraced her life on Cape Ann; she was an active member of the Rockport Garden Club, was involved on the committee for the new Rockport library, played in both a Rockport and Gloucester bridge group, golfed at the Rockport Golf Club with Charley, enjoyed her monthly “lunch bunch” outings with friends and participated in a book group that is still in existence. She was well loved by a large community of friends and neighbors, and even by her pet seagull (named “Bird”) who would endlessly perch on Pat and Charley’s garage roof and even follow Pat’s car as she drove down the street.
Nurses are known for their profound care, their empathy and their compassion and Pat was no exception. Although she retired from nursing to raise her family, she never stopped living a life of service to others. During her years in Medway, she volunteered at Milford Hospital on a weekly basis and drew blood at every local Red Cross Blood Drive. In Rockport, she read to nursing home residents and delivered weekly meals via Meals on Wheels. Pat was the person who neighbors, family and friends could always count on to appear at their side in times of illness or struggle with sage advice and comforting words, armed with a thermometer, stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, bandages…whatever the situation required. She of course, would follow up with a warm embrace, a home cooked meal complete with baked goods or homemade applesauce.
Most of all, Pat put her family, children and grandchildren first, dropping everything to celebrate, sew, cook, read, drive, babysit, dog walk, and even mow the lawn. Her energy was boundless, her kindness infinite. Pat leaves to her grateful family a legacy of generosity and selflessness.
She is survived by her daughter Carol and her wife Michelle, her daughter Susan and her husband Anders, their daughters Libby and Sophie, and her son Scott. She is predeceased by her husband Charley, her sister and best friend Ruth, and her beloved brother-in-law John.
A memorial mass to celebrate Pat’s life will take place at St. Joachim Church at 56 Broadway in Rockport, MA on Saturday, October 4th at 11AM. All are welcome to attend. Private burial at Beech Grove Cemetery will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Pat’s name to Foundation Fighting Blindness (fightingblindness.org) or Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (bcan.org)
