Patricia Barone

I met Patricia in 2021, at the end of her life, she was “Lovely”! She and her daughter Christine, who looked after her little Mom, were a happy pair, and their little dog Brooklyn, was Patricia’s faithful protector! Patricia had a comfortable older age and would often tell me she loved being in Rocky Point. She liked a good story and would respond with enthusiasm, despite her limitations. Christine would be able to finish mom’s sentences for her, as they were that close, and mom was delighted about that. I’m sorry for your loss, Patricia will be missed, but she let go if life loved. And that’s as good as it can get! Peace and love. Karen S

I will miss you forever Pat, big hugs up to Heaven xxoo ❤️❤️

I think this is a great picture of Mom, Big Anthony and Little Anthony. It’s a picture of love and happiness!!! Miss you mom!

I miss my mother, her voice, her humor and so many memories I have. I did the Eulogy for mom’s funeral. Here it is:

Thank you for being here today to celebrate my mother’s life.
Millions of stars in the heavens above and only one mom I cherish and love. Mom’s journey began in the depression era on August 28th 1934. At age 5 Mom’s mother Christina decided to join the convent and leave Mom in the care of Mom’s father and his sister and brother in law. Mom was proud of her mother’s choice, and was well cared for and loved. Mom’s circle of friends growing up included Alice, Honey and Harold Rehfeldt. Their friendship grew into a romantic one. They played stickball as children and as teenagers spent hours on end at the ocean where they would bury potatoes roasting under the sand they called mickeys. Mom graduated from a Catholic high school in June of 1952, a few weeks later married her Navy Sailor Bubby. At the time 17 year old mom’s dream was getting married and having a big family. May 2, 1954 she gave birth to my sister Christine Deborah who really was the one mom learned how to be a mother with the help her Dr. Spock book and advice from Dad’s mom Alice we called Nanny who taught mom how to make spaghetti sauce. They lived over a deli before Dad borrowed money and bought a house from a hermit on Lake Avenue in Nesconset far from where they grew up. Mom didn’t like living so far out in the country and felt isolated down the long dirt driveway. However, she was determined to make the best of it. On May 30, 1959 after mom drank a bottle of castor oil per Nanny’s instructions to facilitate my birth ended up delivering a breach baby. I often told friends I thought it was smart coming into this world with two feet landing on the ground. Barely a year later July 12, 1960 Mom brought home from the hospital my Irish twin Donna Patricia a premature baby who spent several weeks in an incubator due to her low birth weight. Mom waited a little bit longer so on January 3, 1963, Mom gave birth to her only son Harold Edward Rehfeldt the third. Several months later mom plopped us in front of the television saying this is an important moment in history watching the carriage carrying John F. Kennedy’s body past his little son John John. After the Beatles invasion and almost two years after Harold’s birth, baby Colleen Mary on October 29, 1964. Mom came up with amazing adventures. She insisted Dad build a camper so we could visit the United States ofAmerica. We traveled across the USA during the summers of 1965 and 1966. Mom drove to the Smithtown public library making sure the vacation was interesting and educational. Over the year dad saved his quarters and used most of the money keeping the gas tank full. Thankfully Mom had a way of stretching each dollar. We went to Las Vegas where sherbet was on sale for 25 cents a quart. She purchase several quarts and told us to eat it since we didn’t have a freezer in the camper, all we had was a box with a large block of ice in it. In California we picked and filled up pillow cases with oranges. At one point Mom found a deal on bacon and Donna ate one too many strips. Christine kept us entertained in the camper making up stories. We went to the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Old faithful geyser in Yellowstone Park. home we went to the Drive In theater watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We went to the movies to see Mary Poppins, Sound of Music and Oliver. During Easter Mom took us to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettettes and a movie where we would sit snaking on hard boiled Easter eggs. Oh the scent of sulphur spreading throughout the theater. Mom always made all holidays special and when I spend time at the Schreiber home, I see mom’s decoration taste multiplied by 100. That is a huge compliment of mom’s influence. In 1966 Mom signed me and Donna up for Catholic School. The selling point for me was wearing a vest just like the cowboys. Mom participated in the PTA, Rosary Altar Society, wrote a column about the goings on in Nesconset. Mom often gave us projects that included our Neighborhood friends. Bill Pfieffer recently reminded me of mom instructing us to pick dandelions so she could turn it into wine. Mom loved all of her fur babies especially Brooklyn her right hand pup who protected her with his life. Her other nonhuman babies she loved her Golden doodle Bella she took with her on the plane visiting her God daughter. Then there was to include our Pomeranian GiGi, our Collie Lassie, Lassie’s puppy Lucky, Chief, our spider monkey, Snoopy our pony and our goats Newt and Jelly Bean and to include her sweet chickens who would meet her every morning at her back door. Mom loved yard sailing and was good at it. Mom loved make bouquets of flowers out of our garden so we could to give to our teachers. Mom volunteered to take Sister Mary Evelyn to visit her Mom and Dad out in Mount Sinai which at the time was all farm land,.Mom also taught religion instructions and volunteered helping a child with a brain injury by stimulating the child’s muscles through patterning exercises. Mom dropped us off in neighborhoods so we could sell Christmas stamps, often the neighborhoods were heavily populated with a Jewish community. They were kind enough to buy our stamps. Mom took us to Irish Dance lessons, Saturday Bowling league and we did go out to eat several times a year. Most everything mom did for us was special for instance on a rainy days would have a picnic on our living room floor. Mom went to all our school events at St. Patrick’s School to include glee club afterward we went to friendlies for ice cream sundaes. We felt so fortunate having her as our mom. Mom was very popular and loved when she was our lunch mother. Mom loved dressing stylishly and learned to do the latest dances. We even had a dance time on Saturdays in our stone room. Mom took me and Christine to Ireland, England, France and Italy. My motivation for going was because I couldn’t bare to be away from mom. I loved resting my head in Moms lap while she read Winnie The Pooh or one of the Raggedy Ann books. If we were sick she would bring us a goody bag to help make sure we would know we are loved. A found memory is running into Mom and Dad’s bed where mom was sleeping and we sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star staring up at the ceiling with our arms out stretched trying to reach for the stars. Most every summer we spent our days at Long Beach in Smithtown. Mom signed us up for swimming lessons and then it was the rest of the day playing with the Pfieffer kids. After a day at the beach we stopped at the St. James General Store where mom bought us a molasses candy paddle. As we grew older, mom worked as a store detective at Abraham and Strause. She was damn good at her work. She gave Harold a trip Ireland for a summer. Mom paid for Colleen to spend a summer with me in Las Vegas while I served in the USAF. Mom visited me in England and turned my apartment flat into a home. Mom moved a few times over the next several years. About 1984 Mom met her future husband Anthony, a Vietnam Veteran who was a kind gentle man who adored mom. They eventually moved up to South Cairo, NY where they renovated a sweet home together. Mom helped Harold buy a home near the ski slopes in the Catskills, and opened her home up to Colleen to live with them after the birth of her son baby Anthony. Mom took care of my baby son Ryan during my two weeks in the Army Reserves for years. Mom loved her children to visit. Mom always opened her home up for us to stay. Mom went to Ireland to take her mother in to stay with her for years until her death. She also opened her home up to her God daughter Jacinta, who I view as my baby sister. Jacinta observed the deep love and friendship mom shared with her husband Anthony. Anthony called her his bride. Over the last few months she talked about meeting Anthony in heaven. About walking down the isle with Anthony. Jacinta said Being the fashionista Patricia always was Jacinta remembered mom saying she wants to walk down the isle in a beautiful red gown with a huge veil and matching red gloves with Anthony. Mom you were a success and you are loved and you will always love in our heart. Mom, I love you with all of my heart. Here is an Irish poem Jacinta asked me to share.