I have so many great memories of my Mom. At this time I’ll mention just a few of them. Mom drove a checker cab… at times  she would even take us to school in it. Another memory is of Mom working for Bell and Howell with her best friend Jeanette Sefcik. Mom worked at a variety of places to make ends meet. Some of the places where we lived were the Lathrop Homes, Arbor View in Rolling Meadows and various other places on the North Side of Chicago.

Mom enjoyed playing bingo at St. Colette‘s Church on Friday nights. One time she hit the big $500 jackpot one night and gave some to her sons. We enjoyed going to eat out at fast food restaurants. Also mom would take me and my brother to the lake front for bamboo cane pole fishing. We would also take small trips to the museums of Chicago. Mom loved to drive and was a very good driver .

Mom worked a lot through agencies so she could be with her kids. She eventually got into the nursing business/home health care. She took care of many people at different locations and eventually took a live-in health care job.

I believe the late 70’s  is when she really found God and became more active with church and prayer meetings.  She would always pray for me and my brother guiding us towards the Lord as we were growing up. Faith Tabernacle Church in Chicago was one of her favorite places to go. Her love and support was for everyone, and her prayers touched many people’s hearts.

Some of my fondest memories growing up were our family field trips. Normally, we would visit the Lincoln Park Zoo or the beach in Chicago. However, occasionally we would splurge and visit Brookfield Zoo or go way over to the South Side of Chicago for some awesome Lithuanian bacon buns.
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Christmas was also a special time for us because it meant getting together with my Grandparents and Uncle Mike and TOYS! I can still remember when I was little getting a model of one of the spacecraft that landed on the Moon. It wasn't life-size, but that's okay because we wouldn't have had room for it that way.

When I was young, I watched my Mom and friends playing Canasta. It wasn't long before I could fill in for a hand or two when someone couldn't make it or needed a break. This became an almost life-long tradition as in later years Mom and I played 2 handed Canasta.. Mom must have taught me well, since I usually won. :

School was always interesting since we were “gypsies” and frequently moved around Chicago. It wasn't until High School that we settled down in one place for awhile.

I remember that Mom always had a passion for helping people. When we were young she worked with developmentally disabled children and later she was a home health aide for elderly patients.

Another special memory was going out to eat. White Castle was one of our favorite restaurants and affordable, too. The only downside is we tended to eat in the car, which in Chicago in January made for a quick meal. Speaking of food, another special treat is when my Mom would take me out for surf and turf for my birthday.

Even with all of these fond memories, I think Mom's best years were when she was in Villa Monte Vista. It was there that she best served the Lord by serving others, whether they were patients, workers, or anyone who came her way with a need for prayer or encouragment. Over the last week I've met several peple who have told me how she touched their life. That's Mom's true legacy

 

After living in Illinois for approximately 60 years Pat decided to move to Oceanside, California where her son Joseph and his family were living. Pat lived independently in her own home for 2 years before serious health problems necessitated moving to a nursing home. Pat resided at the El Cajon Convalescent Hospital for 3 years before moving to Villa Monte Vista in Poway where she spent the last 10 years. Despite being bedridden she became a beloved resident of Villa Monte Vista (VMV). Her cheerful positive attitude was infectious. She was very interested in the staff and their families as well as other patients. Often Pat could be found in her room praying with different staff members to help with any personal problems they were dealing with. During her stay at VMV she befriended her roommates who were elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease. She watched over them like a “mother hen”. If she ever moved to another room she always requested that her roommate also be moved with her. In addition she took on the responsibility of sending a greeting card to each patient on their birthday. She also was the Resident Representative for the Nursing Home Committee for several years.

In summary Pat will be most remembered for her love of her family, her strong faith in the Lord, her unconditional love for others, her generosity, her great sense of humor, her compassion and her ability to maintain a positive attitude despite all of the health problems she had. She showed great courage dealing with the kidney failure that ultimately led to her passing.

May Pat be an inspiration to all of us !

Pat has been blessed to have a large extended family. Her son Joseph and his wife Gail (Keiser) have three children: Alex Lovejoy, Gianna and Marianna.

Joe was previously married to Debbie(Harmon) and they have two children: Michael and Tanya. Michael is married to Breynn and they have two children: Ryleigh and Andrew. Tanya has two children: Ariana and Trevor.

Her son John Szeliga married Holly (Phillips) and they have four daughters: Justina, Heather, Hayley, and Jaslyn. Justina is married to Adam Lee.

Pat’s brother Michael is married to Mary (Stolle). Pat so loved their little dog Bijou, who visited her on a number of occasions, that she humorously called her "my four-legged niece". 

In case you haven’t been counting that makes a grand total of two children, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Quite a familial legacy.

Her wanderlust really took hold after high school as she left home and began to travel around the Midwest and lead a free spirited life, the details of which we will leave to the imagination of our readers.

Her nurturing side was ready to blossom when she had her first child Joseph Baiocco in 1963. Her second child, John Szeliga was born in 1965. 

Raising two children was no easy task for Pat. She had very limited means which meant frequent moves to the most affordable apartments and finding whatever employment was available to help the family. Her multi talented skills were reflected in the variety of jobs she held such as food server,manufacturing worker, taxi driver, insurance administrator, and customer service rep.

Pat’s real passion was caring for others and she became an accredited Home Health Aide and worked with developmentally disabled children, the elderly and many others who needed her tender loving care. At the same time Pat was becoming increasing interested in the Bible and her spiritual live began to bloom.

Pat married Jerome Kolar (her 3rd marriage) in 1985 and moved in with Jerome and his elderly mother. Pat played a major role in caring for Jerome’s mother and through her care, compassion and friendship enabled Jerome’s mother to live well into her nineties.

This story has a beginning but no ending because Pat Kolar has touched the lives of so many people that her memories will live on.

Our story starts on the southside of Chicago Illinois in 1939 where Pat, whose real name at birth was Petronella (affectionately called Petey), was the offspring of Frank and Mary Gudjones. Both parents were of Lithuanian descent. From the time she was born she showed an independent spirit and a certain amount of wanderlust. These attributes made raising Pat often times a challenging experience for her parents. When Pat was 3 ½ years old she lost her status of “baby of the family” when her brother Michael was born.This made for a great sibling rivalry which matured over the years into a very close, loving relationship.

Pat attended parochial grammar schools and graduated from Kelly High School. While in high school her creative side began to show through. One of her art projects won first prize in a high school competition at the Art Institute of Chicago.