Riders to the Sea

By Frank

Anger is not something I would normally associate with my sister but I remember the time she was hotter than a tea kettle. The year was 1967. Pat loved the theater and she longed to be a director. Her opportunity came when I reached 9^th grade. St. Casmir had a teen club and my sister became an advisor to that teen club. The teen club sponsored a few dances during the year and took some field trips but Pat introduced the idea of a play. 

Her first foray into directing a play with the teen club was You Can’t Take It With You followed by And Never Been Kissed the next year. Both comedies were fun for all involved. After the second production the CYO in the archdiocese of New York sponsored a one act play contest. Pat was all over that.
She chose the tragedy Riders to the Sea. It’s a sad tale of an Irish family whose sons and brothers try to make a living fishing. Each in turn drowns. It was a great play and our cast was first rate as were the costumes and the set--my dad had something to do with that.  Its main competition was a comedy called Dismas Did It. Dismas is the patron saint of thieves or so the description will lead you to believe. This really wasn’t competition. They had no set to speak of just some tables and chairs from a church hall. The costumes were street clothes and Pat was very, very confident in her production.

Unfortunately, the judges didn’t see it her way. Dismas stole the prize.  I guess one could call that irony. Oh, she was hot. She didn’t see the irony, well maybe she did but she vowed to produce a winner next year that would blow them all away!  Marriage and a move to Barstow, CA got in the way of those plans. I know her marriage and family came first after 12/2/67 but can’t help thinking she might have really liked to have had another whack at Dismas. 

Ice Cream With Pat

By Cousin Bill

Pat was one of my coolest cousins! The fact that she was the only one with a drivers license in those days didn't hurt either. I fondly recall those summers when she would pay a visit to our home in Milford Ct to attend plays at the Shakespeare Theater. Each night before heading off to the show she would pile my brother and I in the car and take us for Carvel Ice Cream!  Thank you Pat for taking such good care of us!

CNR Trophy?

Can anyone tell me about this Trophy? 

Breakfast time in the Kuhr Kitchen

I really love this picture for so many reasons.  First of all the delicious food that Grandma cooked for her Grandchildren.  Secondly, I really love the way that Great-Grandma is looking at her Great-Grandchildren.  She would always perch herself on a stool, and sit and watch the hustle and bustle of what was happening at that particular moment, with a content smile on her face.

Lastly, I love this picture because you can see the artwork that my children made for her proudly hanging on the refrigerator.   She would study each one and ask questions about the particular piece as her grandson sat on her lap.

To me this picture encapsulates generations of love and family.

Grandma's Love

Hi,  I am Samantha and I am Pat's daughter-in-law.  I liked to always tell her that I was her favorite daughter-in-law, which is actually true by default since I am her only daughter-in-law at this point. I met her eldest son, Tom, in 1990 and we quickly became an item.    Married in England in 1998 and cut to 2001 when I gave birth to our first child, and her first grandchild.  Mom was not the gushy type, but we could tell how proud and excited she was to welcome her first grandson into the world by the articles and gifts she would send us.  The best gift that she ever gave to me is an ABC book that she created using artwork of Tom's that she had saved.  It is so special to us.  My favorite memory of her is watching her interact with my children, her grandchildren.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of her, and I think you'll agree, you can see in her eyes how much she loved her grandchildren and being part of their lives.

This is baby Sebastian at probably around 12 months old.


The three generations of Kuhr boys.  They had so much fun exploring that big house and back yard.


Both Julian and Sebastian wore the same christening gown that Tom wore.  I think that Great-Grandma may have made it.  Tradition was very important to mom, and I can only imagine the joy of seeing your grandchildren wear the same gown that your own son wore.  We still have the gown saved and hopefully our children will continue the tradition.  I know Mom would like that.


These pictures are some of my favorites.  This is Julian at about three months old.  You can see the love in the eyes of Grandma and Great-Grandma.  Lucky boy.


Had to share this... another one of my favorites.


The Kuhr kitchen was always filled with food, life, bagels and milk!  Mom was always cooking up something great for dinner, and both of her grandchildren enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with her.


Of course when Uncle Frank and Aunt Micky-Jo came to visit, there was lots of rough housing on the floor.  Uncle Frank particularly enjoyed riling them up before bedtime!  ;-)



These pictures are from a hospital after one of her surgeries.  She still managed to read to the boys and enjoy their company.

We miss you Mom and Grandma, and think of you often.

Love,

Samantha, Tom, Sebastian and Julian

I told you I'd find you!

By Terry

Thanks for this Frank!  What a great idea.

My favorite memory of Pat (and it fits into our CNR status as "day hops") was a few years ago when we were planning to go to one of our reunions.  We were having lunch at Trinity in Harrison and talking about getting to the weekend.  I was teaching in Manhattan and said I would lug my suitcase to school, then to Grand Central and then take a cab from the New Rochelle station.

Pat said she was leaving from work in the Bronx and why didn't I meet her and we could go together.
It sounded good but I had no idea of what the subway stop at Yankee Stadium looked like.  Pat said it would be easy, just get off the train and "I'll find you."  Well, when I got there it was very trafficky and complicated and I had no idea of where to stand or look!  I was about to go into panic mode when I heard a car honk and there was Pat!  "I told you I'd find you!"  And she did.

Thanks for the tea and the great picture of Pat and for giving us a chance to remember!

Love to all,
Terry O'Leary