Patricia Ann Pat O'Connor

Wadesboro, NC Mrs. Patricia "Pat" Ann OConnor, 74, died Saturday, January 13, 2018, at her home following a sudden brief illness. Pat was born in Flushing Long Island, NY on July 23, 1943, a daughter of the late Thomas James OConnor and Edythe Mae Stevens OConnor. She grew up in East Hanover, NJ graduating from Hanover Park High in 1961. She lived in the Ocean and Monmouth Counties of NJ for many years where she raised her family and loved her career as a 911 Dispatcher and special Police Officer. She was also a First Aid volunteer & Lieutenant for 25 years in the Howell and Jackson Twsps. Pat moved to the Pocono Mountains in PA with her daughter Melissa and family in 1995 where she got involved with the county Children & Youth services, fostering dozens of teenage girls. She returned to school at Penn State Extension where she became a Master Gardener. She was very involved with the Cooperative Extension, volunteering her time and efforts at county fairs, writing articles, answering the helpline, working in the community gardens, teaching classes, etc. Pat was also an active foster parent and volunteer for Camp Papillion, a no-kill shelter in Reeders, PA. A devoted born again Christian, Pat was a faithful member of the Berean Bible Fellowship Church and a long-time volunteer at the Pinebrook Bible Conference Center, both of Stroudsburg, PA. At Pinebrook, Pat would roll up her sleeves and help out in the kitchen or gift shop when needed, but her regular 'jobs' there were to teach arts and crafts every summer and to design, organize, plant and maintain the Center's gardens year after year. She relocated to the Polkton/Wadesboro area in September 2016 and soon found her new church home at Brown Creek Baptist Church. She looked forward to returning to work at Waddell Farms in February where she had fallen in love with her job in the Summer/Fall of 2017. In addition to her parents, Ms. O'Connor was predeceased by her brother, Thomas J. O'Connor, II; her daughter, Rebecca F. King; and grandson, Andrew T. Clayton who died January 10, 2018. She is survived by: two daughters, Tammy P. Shepard-Werkheiser (Bob) of Hickory, NC; and Melissa Baer-Long, of the home; sister, Barbara Scott (Charles,dec.) of Denver, CO.; four nephews, their spouses & children: Michael King (Elizabeth), Brenden & Caitlinn of CO; Jeffrey King (Laura Bagwell); C. Drew Scott (Heather), Benjamin, Avery & Charlotte all of NJ; and Lowell Scott (Anna), Nina & Kira of PA. She was a proud 'Grams' to seven: Amanda Proko (Greg), Jeremy Scott (Amanda), Danielle Clayton (widow to Andrew), Wally Jamison, II (Gina), Amber-Jenn Soldo (Mike), Joshua Jamison (Amanda), and Argo 'Jason' Cesareo, IV. A great-grandmother, Pat cherished being called GG Pat or Pat-Pat by: Valerie Jamison; Matthew Jamison; Remi, Rebecca & soon to be Rosalynn Soldo; Lily and baby to come Clayton; Evan Elizabeth & Argo 'Grant' Cesareo, V. A memorial service will be held at 2:00PM on Sunday January 21, 2018 at Brown Creek Baptist Church in Wadesboro. A second service (on a date to be announced later) will be held upon her interment at Rosedale Cemetery in MontClair, NJ for her PA and NJ loved ones. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made in Pats name to one of the following: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Anson Animal Shelter, Camp Papillion, Brown Creek Baptist Church or to the gofundme drive for Andrew Clayton's widow & children.