1950 - 2023
By:
Jerin Arifa
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Date Added:
Edited
Pat was a labor union organizer, author, activist, educator, mentor, and women's rights champion. A founding president of the Women’s Democratic Club in 1994, she was also a professor since 1974. She began teaching at the New York City College of Technology in 1982 as an English Professor and later took on the challenging role of Grievance Counselor for the Professional Staff Congress (Union) from 1996 onward. Her deep knowledge of the union contract and her commitment to defending faculty and staff made her a stalwart advocate for workers’ rights. Above all, Pat was a “Hunter daughter true.” She earned her BA and MA from Hunter College and her Ph.D. from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center. She served as Hunter College Alumni President twice, was inducted into the Hunter Hall of Fame, and received the Outstanding Service Award. One of her favorite sayings was, "HGRTW: Hunter Girls Rule the World." She wasn’t wrong when she would remind us that HGRTW. Hunter College, where Pat found her intellectual and activist home, is renowned for its notable women alumni, including two Nobel laureates in Medicine, two Pulitzer Prize winners, three National Medal of Science recipients, and countless women leaders in business, economics, journalism, literature, art, architecture, and STEM. The college also has a history of producing powerful activists like Antonia Pantoja, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her activism, and Edna F. Kelly, who served ten terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bella Abzug, before becoming the first Jewish woman elected to the House, started her political journey as Hunter College’s student body president. A fierce advocate for students, Pat often reminded others that when she attended Hunter, CUNY was tuition-free. To support future generations, she funded two scholarships in her name through the Scholarship & Welfare Fund of the Alumni Association of Hunter College—one for graduate students and one for undergraduates. Pat’s mentorship extended far beyond the classroom. She helped organize buses to Washington, D.C., for the March for Women’s Lives and later worked to establish the Hunter College Women’s Rights Coalition. This ubiquitous student organization brought together feminists from all backgrounds to create diverse programming. I was honored to lead the student club for two years and leveraged that connection to co-spearhead the sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, and stalking policy for the entire City University of New York (CUNY) system. Pat’s support for students was unwavering. She mentored countless individuals, both during their time at Hunter and long after they graduated. As a passionate advocate for women’s sports, she was also a loyal supporter of the Hunter Hawks women’s basketball team, attending every game in the fall when the NY Liberty were off-season. Pat’s commitment to her students, even as they became professionals in their own right, remained a hallmark of her character. As Cantor Eliyana Kissner said at her funeral, before singing the Hunter Alma Mater song, Pat would “track her kids” after they graduated, maintaining deep and lasting connections with them. Pat co-authored three mystery novels. In addition to her academic and activist work, Pat was ordained as a Rabbi in 2013 by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders’ Institute. A lifelong learner, she found joy in leading prayer and officiating at weddings, further demonstrating her dedication to service and spirituality. Pat’s impact on the lives of so many is immeasurable. She is deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her, particularly those of us who would not be who we are today without her unwavering support and guidance.
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