- Date Of Birth: April 10, 1943
- Date Of Death: October 9, 2017
- State: New York
Cohoes – Patricia M. Jarocki Colongione, 74, of Cohoes died Monday, October 9, 2017, with her family by her side after a short battle with cancer.
Born in Albany, she was daughter of the late Stanley Jarocki and Mary Miliman Jarocki and beloved wife of the late Ralph J. Colongione, who died in 2010. She was raised North Troy, lived in Pittstown for 28 years, Latham for 5 years and the last six years in Cohoes. She was a 1961 graduate of Troy High School and 1963 graduate of Hudson Valley Community College.
Pat was Senior Account Clerk for SUNY Albany for 25 years, retiring in 1998. She then worked part time at Hudson Valley Community College working in various departments for the last 18 years and also as a part time travel agency operator for 25 years until falling ill.
She was a member of the Women’s Committee of #691 CSEA, WITS – Workers in Travel, Patient and Services Committee of the National Kidney Foundation and the WE Organization at HVCC. Her passion was advocating for the Home Dialysis Community. She made many trips to Washington DC encouraging congress to pass bills that would assist in protecting the rights of renal patients. Many of those bills were passed. She was the co-creator of Home Dialyzers United a non-profit organization and was the Treasurer until becoming ill. For the last 14 years she spoke to the new nurses at Hudson Valley Community College regarding home hemodialysis. On September 27, 2017 she was honored by the Hudson Valley Community College Nursing Department with an Honorary Nursing Practice Certificate and pin for her extraordinary commitment to community health. She was a communicant of Transfiguration Parish formerly St. Bonaventure’s Church in Speigletown.
Pat’s greatest joy was spending time with her family, especially her three daughters. She loved to cross stitch, shop, travel, make jewelry, meet for morning coffee and go out to dinner with friends.
Survivors include three daughters, Loni (David) Hetman, Troy, Tiffany (Thomas) Bentley, Scotia and Tiia (Scott) Alkinburgh, Salem, NY and two granddaughters, Sarah Bentley, FL and Madisen Hetman, Troy. She was predeceased by her sister, Suzanne Jarocki and her beloved dog, Betsy.
The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to Rensselaer Community Hospice for the wonderful care they gave, and a special thanks to her wonderful cousin, Carol, and dear friend, Clare, for the unconditional love, support and care they gave Patricia and her girls.
DCI-Rubin Troy Center
1850 Peoples Avenue, Troy NY 12180
