Patricia Ann Soucy

Patricia Ann Soucy, 76, of Francestown, N.H. passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 18, 2018, at the Hospice Community House of Merrimack, NH, following weekend visits from family and friends.

She was born on March 17, 1942, in Lynn, Massachusetts, daughter of Wallace Soucy and Blanche Michaud Soucy.

Pat graduated from Lynn Hospital School of Nursing, after actively helping her parents (both R.N.'s) run their family boarding house for seniors, the Greycroft Inn in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Following her graduation, she worked in pediatrics at Lynn Hospital, and at North Shore Children's Hospital in Salem, Massachusetts.

In 1964, she married Jose Garcia and moved to New Hampshire, where she originally worked as a private duty nurse in Manchester. There, her daughter, Pamela Jean was born. By the time her son, Paul Joseph, was born, the family had moved to Hancock, NH. After working as a nurse at Monadnock Community Hospital, she worked concurrently at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center and at the Hancock Post Office, where she became Postmaster in 1991. In 2007, she became postmaster of Francestown, NH, where she had lived since 1986.

Pat was an active gardener and loved taking nature photographs in her free time. However, Pat's core life purpose was to become an independent woman of spirit and to cultivate strong communities. She loved working side by side with others.

Pat was motivated by a deep desire to support those she worked with, and those she worked for. She regretted not having more free time to volunteer. Courses she took at Springfield School of Human Services in Manchester in 2004 further fueled her commitment to social justice, and she learned to express her principles with passion and eloquence.

Her humanity was further deepened by her dedication to personal growth. She cultivated hardy relationships, worked to take full responsibility for her life and to honor others' freedom of choice. Pat embraced challenge through ongoing work with a life coach and supported others' evolution in numerous group settings.

Pat retired from the USPS in 2010, and began work with many of her former senior customers. She helped them to exercise their autonomy while remaining at home. In this work, Pat developed many warm friendships with her clients. Her informal business name was, appropriately, Connections.

Pat is survived by her daughter, Pamela Jean Garcia, Pamela's husband Adrian Butt and their much-celebrated 'son', Fred, the coon hound. They live in Suffolk, Virginia. Her son, Paul Joseph Garcia, helps his father Jose, Pat's former husband, live in safety and comfort at their home in Hancock. Her housemate and caregiver during hospice, Alison D. Scott, lives in Francestown. Pat leaves countless friends and well-wishers, who, with the superb support of HCS Hospice and local caregivers, helped make Pat's final months not only comfortable but also deeply meaningful. We will miss her lively interest, self-deprecating humor and ongoing encouragement to live our best lives.

In the spring of 2019, a celebration of Pat's life will be held at the Harris Center in Hancock, NH. Details will be published closer to the time.

To share photographs, memories and condolences with Pat's family and friends, please visit her memorial page at http://tinyurl.com/PatSoucy-NH.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to HCS Hospice, http://tinyurl.com/HCS-Hospice and/or the NH Community Loan Fund, http://tinyurl.com/NHLoanFund