Patricia Ann Nugent, 64, of Traverse City, the beloved wife of William Hayes went home to the Lord on August 16, 2017. Pat was born in Detroit on May 18, 1953. She was the eldest of five children born to Rose Mary (Barnes) and Nick Charles Pogacich .In 2012 as Pat was nearing retirement, she was diagnosed with amyloidosis, an incurable and rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein is produced in bone marrow. As a scientist at heart, Pat was instrumental in working with her doctors to understand and treat her symptoms and can be credited with advancing our understanding and treatment of this rare disorder. Her efforts allowed her to extend her life and enjoy many happy moments with her growing family. Pat was the valedictorian of her Lincoln Senior High School graduating class in Warren, MI. She earned her bachelors degree from Michigan Technological University and her MBA from Northwood University. Pat was employed by the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan for 25 years in analytical chemistry and new business development. While Pat was living in Midland and building her career at Dow, she also volunteered to spend weekends at Shelterhouse Women's Shelter in support of women who were victims of domestic abuse. After retiring in 2013 she and her husband Bill moved to Traverse City. She continued her love of helping others as a volunteer at Father Fred and was also a volunteer at Safe Harbor, where she was instrumental in seeing that the new Safe Harbor building was acquired to meet the needs of the homeless. She was a member of the Traverse City Human Right's Commission, a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, where she also served as a lector and member of the stewardship committee. As successful as she was in her career, her first priority was always her family. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother and she will be fondly remembered by her younger sisters as a role model for them all to follow. She loved working in her gardens and as a gourmet cook, found joy hosting meals for her family during the holidays. Pat is survived by her husband Bill; her children, Ryan, Maureen (Robert) Hallett and Erin (Evan) Gray and two grandchildren, Sylvia Nugent and Georgia Gray. She is also survived by her sisters, Janet (Dale) Troppman, JoAnn (Kevin) Lamb and Kathy (Mark) Plotzke. Pat was preceded in death by her brother Nick. Visitation for Pat will take place from 5 until 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017 at The Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home with a scripture/rosary service at 6:30 p.m. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21 at St. Joseph Catholic Church on the Old Mission Peninsula. The Rev. Father James Bearss will preside. Rather than flowers, the family would ask that Pat be remembered with memorial contributions to The Father Fred Foundation, 826 Hastings, Traverse City, 49686 or online at
www.fatherfred.org
; Safe Harbor, P. O. Box 403, Traverse City 49685 or
www.gtsafeharbor.org
; or Shelterhouse, 3115 Isabella St., Midland, MI 48640 or
www.shelterhousemidland.org
