Mrs. Patricia “Pat” Kilcoyne Pickford, 66, passed away Tuesday June 23, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A memorial mass will be held on Saturday at 1 PM in the St. Peter Catholic Church.

Pat was born in Seattle and grew up in Texas, Montana, and Wisconsin before settling in Greenville, North Carolina in the late 60s. She was raised in a large, Irish Catholic family with three sisters and three brothers. Pat’s siblings shared a great sense of humor, and laughing came easy to her. Pat worked as a valued medical secretary at Eastern Dermatology for more than 30 years. She was an avid reader of history and novels and gained her love of Russian history from her father who was a professor in that field. Pat passed many hours absorbing a novel or history book on her screened-in front porch. From the mountains to the sea, she found beauty, whether walking the grounds of the family’s Mount Airy cottage to bird watching at Pea Island on the Outer Banks. Pat was able to name any bird by its physical appearance or solely by its song or call. She spent time researching and reading about ornithology and was admired for her knowledge and passion.

Pat was a lover of gardening and had a passion for growing flowers. Many a friend's home is adorned with plants grown from her shared cuttings. She and her husband Charlie grew a large vegetable garden every year. The blueberries they cultivated wound up in delicious, homemade muffins Pat made from scratch. She also enjoyed canning jams and pickling. Pat was a humble soul, and those who knew her said it was likely that she never realized the impact she had on the people she loved. She adored her husband, children, and six grandchildren and was a hands-on grandparent. Kindness was Pat's hallmark. Her concerns were selfless, always worrying about the wellbeing of her family, friends, and co-workers and going beyond the norm to drive miles to tend to a wounded heart or lend comfort with practical and heartfelt words. The people in her world mourn the loss of a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and coworker. From family and friends to the birds she fed and plants she tended, all will miss Pat's loving touch.

Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Anna Kilcoyne; and a sister, Theresa Nadolski.

She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Charles Pickford; daughters, Sarah Pickford, and Eileen McNichol and husband, Daniel; son, Colin Pickford; grandchildren, Wylie and Fisher McNichol and Layla, Nobie, Elam and Paisley Pickford; sister, Christina Grazer and Kitty McBride; brothers, Brendan Kilcoyne, Brian Kilcoyne and Dennis Kilcoyne.

Memorials may be made to Doctors without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or to The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

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