Patricia Jean Colton (Pat) passed away at age 74 at dawn on January 27, 2022, at home and surrounded by her family. Pat was a role model to many for the courage and optimism she brought to everything she did, including her lengthy illness. She is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Timothy James, her two daughters Patricia (Paul Kurdyak) and Katharine Rose (Owen Washburn). She was a devoted and adored grandmother to Robert, Laura, Sylvie and Everett, and managed to stay closely involved in their everyday life even at a distance. She is survived by her sister, Maryelaine Welbourn, and nieces Candace and Tara. She and Tim spent many happy summers on Manitoulin Island in Ontario with the Colton family (Daniel and Millie and their sons Matthew, Brendan and Robert; Thomas and Astrid and their daughter Sarah, Michael, who passed away in 2019, and Cathy Colton and her children, David, Lindsay and Ben).

Pat was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1947 to Joseph Edward (Eddy) and Anne Comeau. She remained close to their Acadian roots while growing up in Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario. She met Tim when they were both studying at Saint Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. She was a well-loved science teacher and administrator in Toronto and then at Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham (years), reluctantly retiring due to her health in 2017. She had many close friends in Wellesley as well as in Canada, and brought joy and enthusiasm to these friendships as well as to her many interests, which included travel, bridge, gardening, cooking, reading and community work, particularly with the Saint John the Evangelist parish.

There will be a funeral mass at Saint John the Evangelist Church in Wellesley at 10 am on Monday January 31, which will also be livestreamed. Donations can be made in her memory to the Greater Boston Food Bank.