Mark Gotberg
I have had the privilege of knowing Patrick and Tiffany since August of 2016 when they moved into their home across the street from us. It has been fun to watch the young couple grow. Patrick always had a smile on his face.
My memories of Patrick will be of him walking with Tiffany and his young family around the neighborhood and the cul-de-sac where our homes are. I will remember the pride on his face as Jane and Jackson started riding their bikes. When Jane would tip over, he would run over immediately, when Jackson crashed, he would say, “it is alright, get up and shake it off.”
My memories of Patrick will be how he used his front lawn to practice his golf swing. One day as I came home from work, I found that Patrick had lined up all his golf clubs and bags on the lawn. I asked what was going on, since I had never seen so many clubs and bags owned by one person. He explained that he needed some room and decided to part with some of the equipment. He showed me each bag, set of clubs, and had a wonderful story about each. Later the next Saturday, I saw a teenager who was with his father buying a set of clubs and a bag from Patrick. I watched as Patrick waved goodbye as the teenager carried his “new” clubs to his father’s car, you could see the excitement on the boy’s face, but the real joy was to see Patrick’s face. He had the biggest smile of all because he knew that someone would love his clubs as much as he did. I do not know how much he asked for the clubs, but I am sure it was a wonderful deal.
During COVID when everything was shut down, Patrick would shoot hoops almost every day no matter the weather. It was fun to stop and talk with him during his practice. He was so good; I would stand under the net and bounce the ball back just so I could see him sink 10 to 15 free throws in a row. This practice continued after he learned about his cancer. He would talk to me about his cancer as he shot hoops and answered my questions honestly and without any regret. He never complained or showed fear.
Always smiling and being happy, is how I will remember Patrick. In the future as I see Jane and Jackson, I will picture Patrick smiling at them as they grow up.
