Patricia Fenix Kettenring

Being a history buff, Pat and I had a lot in common. In her office in Rutgers Business School, she would often talk of the "dismemberment" of Czechoslovakia by the Germans and the Soviets in the early stages of WW2 (1938, I think). It was to have been her dissertation, which for some reason, she could not complete. This bothered her immensely. We had long, fascinating, historical chats in her office. You could choose any topic from Art to Invasions to Photography to Music, and she would...

Dear Karin and Brian, as I re-read your truly wonderful obituary, am struck all over again at what an amazing woman Pat was--truly a remarkable human being! I loved your family's visits to both of our homes, and our visits to yours, marveling at the gorgeous arrangements she created, her humor, her intelligence, her amazing grace. I think of her often, and I miss her.

What an amazing lady and friend. Our lives as neighbors, Christ Church members and Ikebana enthusiasts joined us together for 30 years. We shared many hours discussing plants growing in our yards and how to use the material to create ikebana creations as well as building structures for display in ikebana shows around the metro area. I continue to think of Pat regularly as she has left a lasting imprint in my life. My heart goes out to you all, Jon, Karin and Brian and families.

Thank you, Auntie Pat, for showing me to treasure beauty, curiosity, passion, and generosity as values to live by. As a young girl, you encouraged and inspired my artistic inclinations and interests--you saw me in ways no one else in our family could. In my college years, you showed me to live with openness, curiosity and generosity. You exuded appreciation for beauty in all its forms, and joy in connection and in your family. I will always treasure our visits together, and your influence in...

I worked closely with Pat for many years at Rutgers Business School. She was a treasure - a true connoisseur of the arts and so committed to RBS and its students - her work to establish our program in Business and the Arts enhanced many faculty and student experiences and produced many alumnae/i who now hold major positions at arts institutions around the country; as a result of her successful efforts to establish GlassRoots in Newark, the organization continues to train underprivileged local...

Pat was an early driving force behind my learning to grow up and create my place in the world. I met her daughter Karin in high school at music camp, and then again in college, where we were friends who made music together in a string quartet. When I graduated college, I didn't have a job and temped on both East and West coasts for a bit before Karin called to say that her mom heard about a job at the NJ Symphony Orchestra. She put in a good word for me and I was offered the job essentially...

My name is Anna Marie Gewirtz (nee Sykes) and I was a longtime student of Pat´s. She and I met when I was an undergraduate at Rutgers College and I told her about my interests in arts management and arts advocacy. Before I knew it, she had somehow found a way for me to take her graduate level arts seminars as an undergrad, which cemented my career path. Pat and I stayed in touch after graduation and she began recruiting me to Rutgers Business School for my MBA. When it came time to choose an...