Pat came into this world on May 6th of 1931 as the only child of John and Mary Ellen Riccuito. Born in New York, she grew up in a close-knit clan of cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended family. In her youth, she loved to swim and spent her time playing in the lakes of the Catskill mountains of New York. She met Bill Lauda while filling up her car at his family owned gas station and they married in 1959. Soon after, their daughters, Patti, Marianne, and Laura followed. In 1970 the family moved to Irving, Texas.
After her children all started school, Pat worked her way up the ladder over her career as an accountant until she retired from the Boy Scouts of America at the age of 74. She loved her work and took pride in a job well done, but it was always the people she worked with that meant the most to her.
Pats deep and abiding spirituality knew no bounds. It was the fire that ignited the hearth of her heart. Her love of God was central to her values and shone through her infectious smile, lighting up the lives of those around her. Pat lived her Catholic faith with ease and grace, even in the most trying of times.
Pat was always one to tell a crazy story about her family or her childhood. A creative at heart, she expressed that creativity by directing and organizing church musical events. After retirement, she finally achieved a lifelong desire and took up piano lessons as well as painting.
In her 89 years on this Earth, Pat left a legacy of kindness and good humor. Always one for a laugh, she perfected what her three daughters lovingly termed the "mom look": a good-natured glare that only succeeded in eliciting laughter. It was this look, with a hint of a smile, that she bestowed upon her daughters and grandson after years of being the recipient of numerous shenanigans. There was nothing that could shake Pats sense of humor, even in her final moments as she rolled her eyes and grinned at her daughters hijinks.
The ripples of Pats life can be seen in all those she met. Her legacy of music, art, and story-telling lives on in her daughters and her good-natured sense of humor and limitless capacity for kindness impacted every soul she touched. These were the greatest gifts she passed on to her children and grandchildren. Music. Laughter. Love. Faith.
Pat is survived by her three daughters, one grandson, Chris, and his wife, Frances. Her enduring love and kindness will live in our hearts forever.
Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday November 10th, 2020 from 6:00 8:00 p.m. at Donnellys Colonial Funeral Home in Irving, Texas with a Rosary starting at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday November 11th at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church in Irving, Texas. Burial will be at Calvary Hill Cemetery immediately after Mass. Memorial contributions may be sent in lieu of flowers to Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church in Irving, Texas.
SERVICES
Visitation
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home
606 West Airport Freeway
Irving, Texas 75062
Rosary
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
7:00 PM
Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home
606 West Airport Freeway
Irving, Texas 75062
Mass of Christian Burial
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church
2323 Cheyenne Street
Irving, Texas 75062
Committal Service
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
11:30 AM
Calvary Hill Cemetery
3235 Lombardy Lane
Dallas, TX 75220
