Patricia Anne Bigelow was known for being loving, witty, smart, stylish, and independent. Her life was a book of many chapters.

Chapter 1: Patty / Pat

Patricia Anne Williams was born on August 7, 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the only child of Robert J. Williams and Ruth B. Williams. She grew up in Media, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penncrest High School winning awards in both English and Latin. She was known for her fashion sense (including long fingernails!) and desire to write The Great American Novel. This love of literature continued throughout her lifetime. She was the first in her family to attend college. She earned her B.A. degree in English from Case Western Reserve University in 1972.

Chapter 2: Pat

Patricia gave birth to her daughter, Tessa, in 1976, whom she deeply adored and showed her love in so many ways, great and small: packing her lunch every day until she graduated from high school, sewing her magnificent costumes for Halloween and school plays, and serving as her Girl Scout troop  leader. They supported each other through all of life's challenges and triumphs. 

She received her M.S. degree in Human Resources / Home Economics Education from the University of Delaware in 1982 (Footnote 1), and her Ph.D. degree also from the University of Delaware in Education (Research and Evaluation) in 1989 (Footnote 2). During her time at University of Delaware, she taught courses on educational measurement and conducted research on teacher education. She began working at the Delaware State Department of Education in 1991.

It was also in this chapter that she married the love of her life, Robert (Bob) A. Bigelow in Lewes, Delaware in 1995. During their too brief time together, they enjoyed traveling, particularly to Maine, eating fancy dinners at home (fondue or raclette, anyone?), gardening, and sitting on the deck drinking plonk. Bob passed away in 2002.

Her love of cooking grew and she began to amass an impressive cookbook collection, including both  volumes of The Art of French Cooking, one of her favorite cuisines. She was always interested in trying new recipes and reading about cooking. She passed down her love of cooking to Tessa. Over the years, they worked to document and perfect the Thanksgiving feast. They baked many Christmas cookies and experimented with new recipes and techniques.

Chapter 3: Patricia, New Castle edition

In 2005, she bought a home in the historic section of New Castle, Delaware which she proudly furnished with Swedish Gustavian pieces in her favorite color scheme of blue, yellow, and white. She also created a garden oasis in her backyard. She loved being part of a wonderful neighborhood and enjoyed many block parties, New Year’s Eve progressive dinners, Separation Day celebrations, and home & garden tours. During this chapter, her love of the arts continued to grow and served as a point of deep connection with friends (culture vultures!).  She adored theater with Linda, who always delighted in her snarky comments and sharp critiques, and opera with Tom (although she always did complain about how everyone – especially the women! – always seems to die). She traveled widely including cherished trips to Chicago and Niagara-on-the-Lake with Tessa, Ireland with Mary Ellen, and Staunton and New York City with Linda.

She became an honorary member of the Brandt clan, when she officiated at her daughter’s wedding to Charles Brandt in 2008. For many years, she and Tessa cooked fabulous Christmas dinners for the family and she was well known for her creative and beautiful gift wrapping skills with the always-witty puns on the gift tags.

In 2013, she retired from working at the Department of Education after 22 years of service. While at DOE, she developed an extensive magnet collection. At the time of her retirement, she served as an Education Associate in the Charter School Office. This final position was made much more enjoyable by her Bonnie and Clyde adventures with her friend and colleague, Scott.

Chapter 4: Patricia, Bloomington edition

Patricia moved to Bloomington in 2019 to be closer to Tessa. During this final chapter, they explored all the local coffee shops (who would drink at Starbucks?!?), continued the culture vulture tradition (plays, ballets, and concerts), cooked together, chatted over long walks, and enjoyed many-a-happy-hour. She loved music and dancing, especially sing-alongs with Julie, and taking yoga classes with Ann. She cherished her friendship with Liz, who were “Bigelow and Brown, out on the town” cruising around with the ragtop down. Throughout this period, she continued to have an impact on all of those around her and maintained her sense of adventure.

Epilogue

Patricia Anne Bigelow, 72, passed away on September 22, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana with her daughter at her side, holding her hand. Although her final chapter was cut short, she will always be remembered and deeply loved by her daughter Tessa Bent, son-in-law Charles Brandt and his family, and many friends. Celebrations of life are being planned for the spring (her favorite season) in both Bloomington, Indiana and New Castle, Delaware.

Footnotes:

(1) Master’s Thesis: An Exploratory Study of Preschool Children’s Understanding of Selected Consumer Education Concepts

(2) Dissertation: The Role of Educational Evaluation in Three Selected Montessori Elementary Classrooms

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