Pat, a 30-year resident of Gloucester, passed away quietly in her home on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, after a long illness, at the age of 85.
She was born Patricia (Patsy) O’Donnell on April 24, 1938 in Englewood, N.J., to Danny and Leonie O’Donnell. Pat went on to graduate from Cliffside Park High School and the prestigious Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Manhattan, N.Y. She worked many years for Real Estate Developer, Webb & Knapp, and American Airlines. Pat took her two younger sisters, Sue (Dickman) and Jane (Thomaier), on many adventures, appearing and dancing on American Bandstand, and seeing the Grand Canyon, to name a few.
In 1961 Pat married Richard (Dick) Zima. Together they had three children, Michele (Jim) Marr, Suzanne (Eric) Bergesen, and Rick (Sue) Zima. After raising the children, Pat went back to work as a real estate agent in Ridgefield, Conn., while Dick completed a long corporate career. In 1992, Pat and Dick purchased their retirement home in Gloucester, Va. While it would be a couple of years before they moved in full-time, Pat immediately became a part of the community. She was an active member of Ware Episcopal Church, the Garden Club of Gloucester and Mathews, Master Gardeners, Ware River Circle of The King’s Daughters and Sons, Gloucester, Ware River Yacht Club, and Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic, which she served on the board for many years.
With an active social life, Pat had the time of her life with the friends she and Dick made in Gloucester. While Pat was honored to be a member of the Gloucester community, nothing made her more proud than her six grandchildren. Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Dick, and her parents. She is survived by her sisters, children, and grandchildren. A service to honor Pat’s life will be held at Ware Episcopal Church on Friday, May 26, 2023, at 3:30 p.m., conducted by the Rev. Scott Parnell. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family requests contributions in Pat’s memory be made to Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic, P.O. Box 684, Gloucester, Va. 23061; gmcareclinic.com/support
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home.