Christine A. Patrick

Christine Patrick died peacefully at Horizons Living and Rehab Center in Brunswick, Maine on October 16, 2023.  The daughter of Donald Senecal and Helen Schell Senecal, Christine was born on August 12, 1948, and grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Gallupville, New York.  She began studying piano with Orpha Gage Quay when she was four and attended Schoharie Central School, graduating in 1966.  During her childhood years, Christine participated in every aspect of farming, driving trucks and tractors from the age of eight forward; she learned to bake, garden, can and preserve; served as organist at the Gallupville Methodist Church from the age of fourteen; attended square dances at the Gallupville Grange Hall and the Schoharie Fire House; played flute and piccolo in the school band; and waitressed at Gibby’s Diner.

Following high school, Christine studied music and education, first at Hartwick College, then graduating from SUNY Potsdam.  She began her first teaching job, elementary vocal music teacher, at Draper School in Rotterdam in 1970, and continued her piano studies with Anita Meyer.  At Draper, she met her future husband, Ronald Patrick, who was the elementary and junior high band director.  The two clashed stunningly until they were assigned to perform together at a faculty recital.  After their first practice, they were inseparable.

Ronald and Christine married on July 23, 1972, and told their families about it afterward.  They began their homesteading adventure on Crawford Road and took their honeymoon at Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg, Maine, later that summer.  That honeymoon was Christine’s first trip to the beach.  She heard seagulls the first morning and remarked that someone had brought their chickens camping!

Christine was a regular participant in the Capital District chamber music scene during the early days of her marriage.  Perhaps the highlight of that era for Christine was performing the Brahms Horn Trio with her husband on french horn and a friend on violin.  She also accompanied numerous choral and instrumental groups, and soloists.

Ronald and Christine welcomed their first child in 1973, after which Christine devoted many years to raising her children as her primary and most treasured work.  During those years, Christine played with her children outdoors in all seasons, read thousands of stories aloud, inspired her children with spectacular piano practicing at nap time; raised, canned, pickled and froze nearly enough food to feed the family; became a master seamstress; created elaborately decorated cakes for everyone’s special occasions; served as organist and choir director at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, then began her long career as organist and choir director at Bellevue Reformed Church; and got her start as a frequent Music Director at Schenectady Light Opera Company.

Christine returned to teaching in 1985 when she accepted the elementary vocal music teaching position for Pine Grove, Mariaville and Woestina Elementary Schools in the Schalmont School District.  Christine took great pride in supporting her students’ successes in all subject areas through their experiences with music and dance in her classrooms, and in truly listening to and incorporating all children’s ideas to augment the December and Spring productions at each school.  Christine regularly marveled that she was repeatedly called to justify the continued funding for music in the schools before the School Board, but never failed to successfully make the case that music education is essential to students’ success in all areas.

At Schenectady Light Opera Company, Christine was part of SLOC’s first-ever all female production team (Thelma Zeh as Producer, Joelynne Hatch as Director, Denise Baker as Choreographer and Christine as Music Director).  Her productions include Bells are Ringing, The Boyfriend, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Hello Dolly, The Wizard of Oz and Best Little House in Texas.  She enjoyed recruiting and conducting the pit orchestra, taking special joy in finding a pedal steel player for the last-mentioned production.

Christine devoted many years to the ministries at Bellevue Reformed Church, where she took on an adult choir and an occasional children’s choir, then molded the church’s music program to include an overflowing choir loft each week with adult choir, youth choir, children’s choir, and cherub choir.  Christine wrote and adapted music specifically for her tiny cherubs so that they could sing every Sunday.  She was instrumental in forming and sustaining the church’s youth group, brought Bellevue into a leadership role for the Kids Hope USA program, and worked tirelessly to support her church’s outreach efforts to its own neighborhood.  While running the Kids Hope program, Christine also mentored many local children.

Christine provided private piano lessons to many children for a number of years.

Christine received the Schenectady YWCA’s Woman of Vision award around 1990 in recognition for her creativity and contributions to the community.

Christine never missed the Old Songs Festival in Altamont, NY each June.  She loved supporting all varieties of great music, enjoyed the contra-dancing and lived for the Sacred Harp Shape Note sing in the acoustically exciting sheep shed.  In addition, Christine almost never missed an Albany Symphony Concert, and was a frequent attendee at the Metropolitan Opera.

Christine was instrumental in bringing the Window Seat Concert Series, which became the Beat the Snow Concert Series, to the Schenectady Public Library and was a regular accompanist and performer in the series.  She conducted the final concert in 2012, planned by Ronald when he knew he would not live long enough to conduct it himself.  This final concert had to be moved to a larger venue and served as a stunning tribute to Christine’s beloved husband.

Christine was the master of throwing a party.  Her crisp dill pickles fetched shocking prices at benefit auctions.  She loved visiting America’s National Parks with her husband.  She took loving care of her husband through his last illness, and felt profound gratitude toward her neighbors and greater community who surrounded her during those emotional times.

Well into the journey of Alzheimer’s Disease, a fact then known only to those closest to her, Christine moved to Harpswell, Maine to live with her daughter soon after Ronald’s death.  In Harpswell, Christine became a fixture at the Orrs Island Library and the Giant Stairs Café.  She made new friends and took up yoga and ping pong at People Plus in Brunswick, Maine.  She continued her obsession with pulling weeds- sometimes removing entire gardens, having forgotten the difference between garden plant and weed.  She rediscovered the foods she loved daily.  She took one last road trip across the United States with Jenny, Natalie, Isabel, Tristan and Cyrus, stopping first at the Old Songs Festival, then visiting Glacier National Park, the E bar L Ranch in Montana, Yellowstone National Park, the Badlands, and Crazy Horse Mountain, creating memorable quotes about not remembering where she was, but loving it all the same.

Christine’s Alzheimer’s Journey has been an amazing testament to her faith, strength and character.  She accepted the progression of the disease with indescribable grace, never once complaining about the disease and what it meant for her future.  She made her own decision to move into care and found love, support, relaxation, joy and friendship in the community of others on a similar journey at Avita of Brunswick.  Christine truly had a meaningful and fulfilling life at Avita, where she continued her life of service to others as an active friend and support to her community members there.  She found similar love and support in the final days of her journey at Horizons in Brunswick, looking out over the fields of Crystal Spring Farm.  As her language failed her, she let music be her way to connect with others.  Christine never failed to express immense appreciation for the work and efforts of those around her.  She continued to play piano until the very last days of her life.

Christine was predeceased by her husband, Ronald Patrick, and her parents, Helen Schell Senecal and Donald Senecal.  Christine is survived by her daughter, Jenny Burch, son-in-law, Curt Fish, and grandchildren, Natalie Burch, Isabel Burch, Tristan Burch and Cyrus McCurdy; her daughter, Lara Patrick, and grandchildren, Rachel Valois and Jocelyn Valois; her sister, Margaret (Peggy) Scudiere, and brother-in-law, John Scudiere; her niece, Susan Sharp, and Susan’s family, Ken Sharp, and Andrew, Daniel and Nathan Sharp; her niece, Rebecca Blumhofer, and Rebecca’s family, Jonathan Blumhofer, and Lydia and Ben Blumhofer; her niece, Elizabeth Dutton and Elizabeth’s husband, John Dutton; her aunt, Charlotte Senecal; her many cousins including Jeffrey Senecal and Jennifer Dawson; her brothers and sisters in law, R. Lee Patrick, Keith and Beverley Patrick, Lois Preece, and Tom and Melissa Patrick; her nieces and nephews, Jan and Tammy Patrick and their children and grandchildren, Roger and Christy Patrick and their son, Tim and Beth Patrick, Sarah and Steven Briggs and their children, Jane and David Ward, Ben and Kendall Patrick and their children, Lissa and Kevin Loveitt and their children, Michael and Kate Patrick and their son, Katie Patrick, and Julie and Brett Findlay and their daughter; and her neighbor, Shirley Prince.

Funeral Services will be Monday October 23, 2023 at 10AM at Bellevue Reformed Church 2000 Broadway Schenectady. Calling Hours will be Sunday from 4-7PM at the Bond Funeral Home 1614 Guilderland Avenue Schenectady.

Interment in Gallupville Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the SiCM Food Program or the Alzheimer’s Association in Christine’s memory.