Patricia ‘Pat’ Kelk, Beloved Mother and Grandmother, Devoted Parishioner
Patricia “Pat” Durand Kelk, 83, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., passed away on Monday, March 11, after a courageous, inspiring, persistent battle with ovarian cancer. She will be remembered by friends, neighbors and family as kind, strong and independent. She was especially thankful for others’ acts of service, calling them her angels. She always had an attitude of gratitude.
Pat was born on February 28, 1941, in Toronto, Ontario, to Godfrey and Marjorie Durand. While she moved to New Jersey in 1952, she was always proud of her Canadian heritage and dual citizenship. One of her very special memories was spending time at the family cottage, built by her father and grandfather on Nottawasaga Bay in Collingwood, Ontario. She loved sharing this place with her children and grandchildren.
Pat graduated from Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, N.J., in 1959, and attended Douglass College (Rutgers) from 1959 to 1961 and Cornell University New York Hospital School of Nursing (1961 to 1964).
She co-founded Residential Home Care, Inc. in the Westfield, N.J. area with Joyce Dolan, taking care of the elderly for 30 years, from 1980 to 2010. A resident of Sea Bright, N.J., and Palm Coast, Fla., for many years, Pat moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in 2013 to be closer to family.
Pat was a devoted member of the Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., enjoying her time with parishioners as a Love Caller, Shepherd and Deacon. Pat enjoyed softball, tennis, paddle, golf, boating, RVing (at 80 years old), reading and spending time with family, friends and her dogs. Shewillalwaysberemembered for her boating stories and sense of adventure.
Her proudest accomplishment is her legacy of two daughters and seven grandchildren. Her greatest wish was to see the lives of her grandchildren unfold (and to have great-grandchildren). She is survived by her children, Jacqueline Allman (Steven) and Sandra Paris (Brent); her grandchildren, Katherine Khodaverdy (Levic), Samantha, Elijah, Mathias, Madeleine, Abigail and Grant, and her siblings, Ian, Gordon and Carol.
Pat’s interment will be at the columbarium at Palms Presbyterian. A celebration of life will be held at Palms Presbyterian on Friday, March 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Compassion Fund at Palms Presbyterian Church, 3410 3rd Street S, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, or the American Cancer Society at donate.cancer.org.
March 21, 2024
