Dear friends,
It saddens me greatly to inform you that our dear sister and Member of our Board of Trustees, Pat Scileppi, has gone on to be with the Lord and a great company of the saints. As a great, warm-hearted, bold and prayerful professor who truly did live an exemplary life of faith and scholarship that touched the lives of many, she will be greatly missed.
Yet in another very real sense, notwithstanding many prayers appropriately and faithfully lifted up on her behalf for her complete healing, it was not to be and, in this, we rest in the will of her loving heavenly Father. The last several months have been particularly difficult for Pat. My several visits with her over this period evidenced her rapid decline and very evident loss of any quality of life. We shared many things and prayed and even sang together, as recently as two weeks ago – it was a visit of mutual thanksgiving for the gift of real and mutual friendship and of trust in Christ.
In each instance, I expressed deep gratitude and prayerful support for her on the part of the Board and her friends at the Foundation. For this she was clearly most appreciative, and repeatedly expressed her keen support for our mission to the very end (which, to quote Lewis, is, of course, not at all “the end” but, rather, “the beginning of Chapter One of the Great Story.”
Please do pray for the members of Pat’s immediate family.
For a brief biography of Pat’s life, see below for an excerpt from her obituary.
Yours for the journey,
Stan
Here is an excerpt from her obituary:
Patricia A. Scileppi, Professor, Author and Mother, Dies at 63
Patricia Ann Scileppi, born March 7, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York, went to The Lord on February 9, 2009. Pat came to Riverside in 1962 with her parents, Eugene and Carmen Scileppi.
She taught Speech and Interpersonal Communication at RCC from 1969 until her retirement in 2007 as a result of cancer. She co-authored the book We Shall Be Heard, the first anthology of American women speakers and pioneered a values-based communication textbook How Then Shall We Live?. Her stunning career impacted the lives of thousands.
In 1996, Pat founded the Fellowship of Catholic Christian Women at St. Catherine’s of Alexandria parish. It has since expanded to 17 parishes in California. She is survived by her daughter, Victoria Kennedy, of Murrieta, California and son and daughter-in-law Eugene and Jennifer Kennedy of Salt Lake City, Utah.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring her by making a donation to: The Professor Scileppi Interpersonal Communication Scholarship Fund, Riverside Community College Foundation, 4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506-1299, Tel (951)222-8626
The funeral will be Thursday Feb. 12th at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine’s of Alexandria followed by a reception and burial.
May God bless Patricia. She deserved so much more in life. I feel deep sorrow for her suffering. She always believed that cancer was the direct result of a life without hope. I refuse to believe this to be the case for Patricia. She lived to a higher standard-may her award be great in Heaven.
Pat is now in glory with the Lord.
I knew Pat for only 9 years; having met her with the Fellowship of Catholic Christian Women; an organization that she founded.
She was a woman of faith, love, understanding and hope. She suffered much in her last months. She is sorely missed.
To call Pat magnificent is such an understatement. This kind and gracious lady was a model of conscious and commitment. I knew her father when I was a small boy, and it was my great delight to have her as a Professor in the 1970s. She prepared me well and gave me tools and advantages in my continued career that other people simply did not receive. My gratitude in unending, as was her kindness and ability.
Pat was what all women want to be…. talented (she played the piano with great heart) smart and beautiful. I’m sure she is running some type of program in heaven. She was a take charge woman with great spirit and pride. When I was a young woman she gave me many gifts of her wise and wonderful words. She made a difference and left this old world a much better place than she found it. No doubt she is with our Father our heaven.
Prof. Patricia was one of my teachers at RCC. She was a wonderful person and a great teacher. I truly enjoyed her classes and we became good friends. I even have a handwritten note from her saying that I was one of her excellent students. I’m so sorry to learn of her passing. My husband passed away of cancer in Sept 2012. Life has changed, but God has everything under control and I will move on with His strength. My sympathies to Prof. Patricia’s family.
Hi Rita – I am so sorry for your loss. I pray God gives you strength. Patricia is sure to be in heaven right now looking down on you encouraging you to be strong!
Patricia was my speech and interpersonal communications professor at RCC in the early 80’s. She was a great mentor to me and always encouraged me to do my best and always be true to myself. Unfortunately I didn’t always follow her advice. She and I became good friends and she continued to mentor me by showing me how much God loves me and how to have a true relationship with my heavenly Father. She will be missed and I know her spirit lives on in her children and students. Thank you for your love and encouragement, Patricia. I cherish the personal notes I have from her.