WINDSOR, VT– Patricia Hastings Waite died Sunday, October 20, 2024 at Pine Heights nursing home in Brattleboro, Vermont. Born April 16, 1929 at Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, she was the only child of Otis and Thelma (Clogston) Hastings. Pat spent her childhood in East Thetford, Vermont, where her parents ran a general store and tourist cabins, and where she kept a number of pets, including a rescued deer, two ponies, a dog, a rabbit and “Jimmy” the raccoon. She attended a one-room schoolhouse and, until seventh grade, was the only child in her class.
In 1942 her family moved to Windsor, Vermont where Pat graduated high school in 1947. She played alto sax in the marching band and excelled at piano, organ, and accordion. A gifted soprano, she performed at community events throughout her life. Striking in her youth and beyond, painter Maxfield Parrish once asked that she pose for him – a request her parents flatly declined.
Following the footsteps of her great-aunt, Pat became a nurse. She was a proud graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, where she met her husband, William, then a patient. They married in August 1950 at the Old South Congregational Church in Windsor. Honeymooning in the White Mountains, the couple settled in Washington state, where their three children were born. In 1960, they returned to Vermont, where Pat’s career flourished. After working at the old Windsor Hospital, Pat became Director of Nursing at Claremont General, where she developed an innovative team nursing program to treat specialized patient groups, and later published on the topic. Her contributions figured in her election as President of the New Hampshire Nurses Association; she also served as a national delegate.
In 1979, Pat took a sabbatical to pursue formal education in health administration in New Mexico. She obtained both undergraduate and master’s degrees, and eventually advanced to Director of Nursing at Heights General Medical Center in Albuquerque, a role she held until retiring in 1987. Her remarkable career is all the more notable given the limited leadership positions for women at the time.
Pat and Bill were enthusiastic travelers, exploring North America, Europe, and Central America. In retirement, they split their time between New England and the southwest, and often were on the road formonths. After Bill died in 2005, Pat continued to travel, visiting New Zealand, Bermuda, Spain, Portugal, London, and crossing Canada by train in the dead of winter. For her 90th birthday, she was feted by her family with a trip to Ireland.
Pat was a fiercely competitive bridge player, a painter of _ naturemorte_, and a collector of Native American art and jewelry. Above all, Pat was the Waite family’s undisputed matriarch, always supportive and loving.
She is survived by her children: John and his wife Maria of Ascutney, VT; Daniel of Brownsville, VT; and Anne and her husband, Paul Clifton-Waite of Temple, NH. She is also survived by four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Calling hours at the Knight Funeral Home in Windsor are Saturday from 2-4 pm. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Condolences may be expressed to Pat’s family in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Pat’s honor to the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society in West Windsor, VT or the Alzheimer’s Association.
