Patricia Coar O'Malley

1932 - 2022

Patricia Coar O'Malley
May 10, 1932 - June 14, 2022
Beloved wife of 67 years, mother of nine, grandmother of twenty, great-grandmother of four, Patricia O'Malley lived a life abundant in love and family and died peacefully in her sleep on June 14, 2022. Born May 10, 1932, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the fifth of six children to Claire and Stanley Coar, a prominent local attorney, Pat was blessed with a wonderful childhood. She loved to tell stories of the mischief she and her siblings would get into, especially at nearby Crystal Lake where they had a summer house which remained a life-long special place for her entire family.
Pat attended Scranton High and was a cheerleader when she met her husband Frank O'Malley who was on the basketball team. Despite Pat leaving Scranton to attend Rosemont College, their love would not be denied and in 1951, they were married. Pat would frankly describe the early years of marriage as a blur. They would have five children in rapid succession while Frank worked to support his growing family and attended the Univ. of Scranton, and they did this while living in her mother's basement. The silver lining was that the house was on campus, and it became a salon for professors and students. A great beauty, people were drawn to Pat by her charisma, Frank's sister Jane described Pat visiting as like Liz Taylor stopping by. Incredibly, amid all this, Pat also performed in local musicals like South Pacific with her children in supporting roles.
In 1965, the family which now consisted of nine children, Jerry, Brian, Ellen, Kevin, Karen, Tim, Sean, Chris, and Kathy, moved to Weston, CT. The logistics were staggering, but Pat brought an amazing efficiency to the process. Each meal was planned, and a trip to the store saw various children assigned items for procurement. Pat took these skills and began another chapter in her life, businesswoman. Pat started at a dentist's office and soon managed it, a role she filled for several other medical practices. She then worked for Berol Chemical a Swedish firm and rose to head Personnel, becoming the first woman to participate in a Board meeting in Sweden. During her early years in Weston, Pat also found time to model, when she added another title to her list of accomplishments, Mrs. Connecticut. The picture of Pat in her beautiful gown, and Frank in a white jacket at the pageant in San Diego is iconic. Pat also had a string of successful game show appearances on Password, Concentration, and Hollywood Squares.
Pat had a relentless curiosity about the world, and after retiring from business, she added another title, yogi. Pat was physically active and had practiced yoga for years, but it was also spiritual. Pat visited Kripalu, and the campus became a place of renewal and meditation. Pat was also a source of wisdom, comfort, and support to her children as they started their own families. There was nothing Pat loved more than when they could all get together, at the Lake, or a wedding or birthday, an O'Malley gathering, complete with a "Senior Clap" was exuberant, and a growing group of family and friends only increased the enjoyment.
The last great stage of Pat's life was as a grandmother, born over a 19-year span, Pat's relationship with her twenty grandchildren was incredible. She had an amazing capacity to connect with each grandchild on their own level, playing with them forever and mirroring their enthusiasm and sense of wonder. They all loved her for it, forming a bond that only deepened as they grew. Of course, she was also a notorious cheat, taking an extra card, or changing rules as needed when playing with her grandchildren, but claiming rightly that this was all part of the fun. This was also a golden period for Pat and Frank. With Frank retired, and relieved of the stresses of supporting such a large family, it was wonderful to see them enjoying each other's company and displaying warm affection for each other. When Frank became ill, Pat was a constant at his side, and it was beautiful to see their dedication to each other. Likewise, with Frank gone, her children and grandchildren took every opportunity to be with Pat or make sure Pat was part of a family gathering, and even near the end of her life, there was a joyous celebration of her birthday. Pat knew well how blessed she was in life and considered herself to be the most fortunate of women. Pat was grateful for every moment of love she shared; she will be deeply missed by all who knew her and will remain a guiding light for all her family.