Obituary of Patricia A. Raimondi

Hilton: Born in the suburbs of Syracuse, November 6, 1936, Patricia Herrick to Bertha DeGraeve-Herrick and Walter Herrick. She grew up in a variety of towns between Rochester and Utica, graduating from Minoa High School near Syracuse. She attended Cortland University college briefly before she met Russell Raimondi Sr. She was an avid water skier on the Irondequoit Bay Ski team, where she met Russell. Russ and Patti were married in 1960 and immediately started a family after a honeymoon at a water skiing show in which they were featured in the local newspaper. They had 3 children under 1 and soon outgrew the little house in Irondequoit just before the baby Michelle was born. They moved to Hilton (where she resided for the past 44 years) and had a small farm raising horses, beef cattle, chickens, and grew a huge vegetable garden and had a variety of pets. Everything seemed to be in multiples of 4 for the Raimondi household.

Patti was a stay-at-home-mom for many years until all the kids went to school, and then in 1970, she got a job as a Special Education Bus Driver with Tri-County Bus Service taking local children to the Al Sigl Center and other specialty schools. She formed a personal bond with many of those families along the way. After that, she worked at Eastman Kodak for several years until her retirement in 1989, doing jobs usually done by men, breaking the gender barrier in several departments – she wouldn’t put up with any conflicts the guys dished out and ended up excelling in her work. Her favorite department to work in was the Spring Machine shop at Kodak which utilized her precision and hard work. Patti was a very strong-willed and strong-minded person who thought she was ALWAYS RIGHT and very rarely admitted she wasn't.

Patti and Russ raised 4 children, loved and cherished 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Patti's face would light up watching the little kids play and learn new things.

Patricia was predeceased by her parents, Walter N. Herrick and Bertha Gray; her step-father, Milton Gray; and her brothers, W. Carl Herrick, Jerome Herrick, and Corky Herrick.

Patricia leaves behind her husband of 56 years, Russell Sr., their children, Charmian Sercu, Cheryl (Scott) Thomas, Russell Jr. (Christina) Raimondi and Michelle (Christopher) Fogarty; 11 grandchildren, Thomas & Kathleen Sercu, Sarah Thomas, Rachel Thomas-Pelligrino, Dustin & Nicholas Raimondi, Ashley Smith along with Chelsea, Connor, Liam & Ethan Fogarty, and 3 great-grandchildren, Samantha & Brandon Stewart and Kali Sercu.

Patty loved watching her birds at the feeders especially hummingbirds and cardinals. She had to have certain foods every week – her spice drop candies, waffles and Jif peanut butter with bananas. She didn’t cook too much the last 6 months, but Dad learned how to make all of these for her. Patty loved to travel and cruise. She went to Italy, Spain, the Panama Canal, Portugal, Hawaii, Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania plus frequent trips to North Carolina to see family.

The Raimondi family would like to thank all those doctors, friends and others who assisted with Patricia’s care during her illness.

Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday, January 11th from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, Inc., 735 East Avenue in Hilton. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, January 12th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Leo the Great Church in Hilton. Interment will be held in Parma Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 704, Rochester, NY 14642 in memory of Patricia.