Patricia Ann Doto, 89, of Newtown, PA passed away on July 23, 2022 from natural causes. She was born on April 7, 1933 to Clinton and Evelyn Smith. Affectionately known as Pat, Patsy, Grandma Pat, and Granmama, Pat was born and raised in Ringtown, PA, a postage stamp-sized town only .44 square miles, population 900. She grew up ice-skating on local ponds and racing go-karts, even winning some trophies along the way. Her younger brother, Howard, recalls walking to school together in three feet of snow, only to find their always-open-in-snow-school, was closed. She graduated from Ringtown High School in 1951.

At 19, she married Joseph Butrymowicz. Before their divorce, she became a mother to David, Pamela, and Patti. She remarried Anthony "Tony" Doto in 1968 and became a mother to Tami. Though they divorced, she remained close-knit with Tony and his family. Over the course of her life, Pat lived all over Southeastern PA, in Washington D.C., La Crescenta, CA , and Ballston Spa, NY, before spending her last two years back in Bucks County, PA. A hard worker, she was employed as a bookkeeper at various companies throughout her life. Before retirement she worked for the Bucks County Prison System. She had a passion for politics, campaigning for candidates and volunteering for local elections in her free time. Pat fiercely loved her mother, always bringing her to Bucks County to visit family and became her devoted caregiver in her final years. 

Ever the social butterfly, Pat and her ride-or-die girlfriends enjoyed frequenting Lower Bucks establishments like Flannery's, Club Demi, and the Fairless Inn to dance and mingle. She threw the best parties, sometimes complete with tarot readings from friends who doubled as psychics. She was a fabulous listener who genuinely took an interest in others, their family and friends, always asking after people, recalling minor details about them. She particularly loved to listen to others "spill the tea" and mischievously delighted in stirring up some drama too.

She raised four children primarily as a single parent. She was a tenacious woman; if she set her mind to something, she did it. Her daughter, Tami, remembers thinking "My mom could do anything." Tami and her mother spoke in a kind of short-hand, knowing what the other was thinking, finishing each other's sentences that sometimes drove Tami's husband crazy. Tami will have to recruit one of her daughters to finish her sentences now. Her daughter, Pamela, recalls a favorite childhood memory of being put to bed by her mother, soothed by the sounds of the stereo playing Big 10 albums like Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. She also remembers one particularly harsh snowy night, streets deserted, waiting for her mom to come home and the relief she felt to see those headlights appear in the driveway. One of her daughter, Patti's, favorite memories is baking Christmas cookies with her mom and grandmother every year, Christmas classics like Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby playing in the background, and always having some ridiculousness to laugh about. This tradition of family togetherness passed down generations still exists today in Patti's own family, but the recipe for those gross Michigan Rocks Pat and Evelyn loved is conveniently nowhere to be found.  Her son, David, recollects one particular memory of his mom when he was a teenager. Out with a friend in the middle of the night and not wanting to trek the long walk home, he decided hitch-hiking was the best way back. They stuck out their thumbs and the first car to pass slammed on the brakes to stop for them. His relief was short lived when the window rolled down, revealing his mother's ice cold glare. Rumor has it, his knees are still trembling in fear of her wrath. 

Bordering on hoarding, Pat loved to collect hundreds of decorative mice, but was deathly afraid of any and all rodents in real life. She once attempted an assassination on her resident house mouse using a toaster it climbed inside. A devoted fan-girl of Johnny Mathis, her favorite song was "Chances Are" and played his Christmas album on repeat during the holidays. She was a zealous plant mama, possessed with a green thumb and a love for gardening, her home always lush with life. She had some real potential to be a crazy cat lady too, but her kids put a quick stop to that, much to her chagrin. The closest she ever got to being the crazy cat lady she aspired to be was constantly letting the proverbial cat out of the bag. Pat expressed her fashion sense by donning countless hairstyles of every shade, length, texture, and volume imaginable until settling into her signature silver-fox cropped cut in her later years. She was crafty throughout her life, enjoying ceramics, counted-cross stitch, knitting, and coloring. She somehow seemed to coerce Patti into all of her many art projects, even buying a ceramics kiln for their house. Her full-bodied laugh that filled a room will be greatly missed.

Always fun-loving and adventurous, after Pat's stint as a youth go-kart racer, she took up cycling in her late 40s. She easily biked a hundred miles on weekend trips with the Princeton Freewheelers club. Not one to back down at a challenge, she even picked up inline skating for the first time at 63. She did however, decline her granddaughter's request to race in Philly radio station, WMMR's, Granny Grand Prix.

After retiring, she enjoyed traveling all over the US in an RV, sightseeing and collecting pins from the places she visited. She delighted in visits and holidays with her many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even living long enough to become a great-great-grandmother. Her sons-in-law constantly competed to be her favorite, joking about who was currently at the top of her stepladder of affection, or who got knocked down a rung after a getting in trouble with her. In her last decade, she found a companion in Bob Capozzola of Ballston Spa, NY. Her family delighted in teasing her about her beau. Though they lived in different states in her last two years of life, he remained a devoted friend, calling his beloved "Patsy" multiple times a day, every day.

Patricia is survived by her brother, Howard Smith (Karen); her children David Butrymowicz, Pamela Wurster (John), Patti McHugh (Spud), Tami Coleman (Matt); her grandchildren Heather Drake, Sommer Drake, Nicole Polk, Ryan Polk, Becki Woodruff (Eddie), Lindsey Burns, Cassie Coleman, and Sabrina Coleman; her great-grandchildren Meghan, Harley, Colin, Kadence, Laci, and Mia; her great-great-granddaughter Ileigh.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (https://www.nationalbreastcan…) or the Go Red for Women (https://www.goredforwomen.org…)

Her wishes were to have her body donated to science for research purposes. A memorial luncheon for family and friends will be served on Saturday, August 6 at Greystone Fine Food and Spirits, located at 552 Washington Crossing Road, Newtown, PA from 1-4 pm. 

Patricia's obituary was lovingly written by her granddaughter, Nicole, with special thanks to everyone who contributed their stories.

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