Patricia H. Szostak

Patricia H. Szostak 1955 - 2008 GUILFORD Patty Szostak of Stage Road passed on early Friday morning, July 11, 2008, after a courageous journey with cancer. Born in Norwalk, Conn., on Jan. 24, 1955, beloved daughter of Jane Porco Whelan and the late Ralph Porco, Patty graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in communications. She then spent most of her corporate career working in various Human Resource capacities for Aetna in Hartford, Conn. In 1989, Patty married her soul-mate, her lifelong partner and best friend, Mike Szostak. They began their journey together in the towns of South Glastonbury and Marlborough Conn., later moving to Birchrunville, Pa., and then joined the community of Guilford in 1999. Patty was a very gifted person, both as an artist and a writer. Her work was published in various magazines and she received recognition for her skill as a wood sculptor. She also had a unique ability to connect with nature and animals as shown in the surroundings she created in each home she and Mike shared. She loved to design, build and take care of her beautiful rock, vegetable and flower gardens. Patty was a trusted confidant to her family and many friends. She had a remarkable quality of being able to listen to people in a non-judgmental and supportive way. Throughout her life, Patty embraced not only tradition but diversity in views and beliefs. Yoga, meditation and other spiritual practices became very important parts of her life. Patty was constantly striving to expand her mind through reading and conversations with people of differing interests. Much of who Patty was can be described by how she handled her 14-month journey with cancer (lymphoma). People would often comment about how in her e-mail updates and conversations she showed an amazing ability to accept her illness and deal with it not as a battle, but as another opportunity to learn about a different aspect of life. Despite the numerous setbacks she experienced, she always found a way to find something positive about what was happening in her journey. She will be terribly missed as a devoted wife, daughter, sister, stepmother, nana, aunt, friend and active community member. She leaves behind her husband. Mike Szostak of Guilford; her mother, Jane Porco Whelan and her husband, Bill, of Annapolis, Md.; her mother-in-law, Julia Szostak of Westfield, Mass.; her brother, Steve Porco and his wife Carrie, of Annapolis; her stepchildren, Andrew Szostak and his wife, Lisa, of Downers Grove, Ill., Jennifer Heutz and her husband, Tim, of Lewiston, Maine; her three granddaughters, Julia, Abigail and Miranda, and her nephews, Johnathan, Steven and Michael. In addition, she leaves behind her many animal friends, including her beloved horses, Stormy and Gabe; her kitties, Freddie, Luther and Riley, and her dog, Truman. She was predeceased by her father, Ralph Porco; by her brother, Peter Porco, and by her father-in-law, Henry Szostak. In a recent photograph of Patty with a butterfly on her nose, she wrote "Nothing is worth more than this day." This photo and quotation by Goethe summarizes the person that Patty was. MEMORIAL SERVICE: A memorial service will be held for Patty at the Guilford Community Church on Saturday, July 19, 2008, at 11 a.m. with a reception immediately following. Casual dress. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Guilford Community Church, Broad Brook Grange, the First Responder unit of the Guilford Fire Dept., Rescue Inc. or any animal protection organization. Cremation services are being handled by Eternal Blessings of Guilford. Mike would like to express a special thank-you to the Oncology Unit at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and the endless number of friends and family who gave us love and support to carry us through our journey.