Patricia Goodman Booth, 86, of Vero Beach, passed away on April 17, 2015, after a brief illness.
She is survived by her five children and their spouses, Dr. Laura Booth Chan (Raymond) Victor, of New York, Celia Ann Booth (Thomas McCaffery) of Alexandria, Va., Eric Thomas Booth (Kathy) of Whitney Point, N.Y., Stephen Roger Booth (Kathy) of Antwerp, N.Y., and Dr. Michael Booth (Sue) of Bismarck, N.D.; 18 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and her special friend and companion Ramsey Ludington, who was at her side when she passed away.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 61 years, George.
Booth was born in Yonkers, N.Y., the only child of Cleland T. and Genevieve Brown Goodman. Raised in Buffalo, N.Y., she graduated in 1947 from Amherst High School, then graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1951. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Alpha Iota.
At Syracuse, she met her future husband, George Lawrence Booth. They were married in 1951 and settled in Fulton, N.Y., where they began a family that would grow to five children over the next eight years.
Booth began a second professional career in the early 1960s, returning to school at SUNY Oswego, where she earned a Master of Science in Education in 1969 as well as a Certificate of Advances Studies in administration in 1976. She was an elementary school teacher at schools in New York, Kentucky and Brazil.
She was active in Rotary as a Paul Harris Fellow, the American Guild of Organists as the Syracuse Chapter Dean and the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO). She was also active in the Vero Beach Community Church of Vero Beach, where she and George spent much of their retirement years. Her proudest accomplishment there was serving on the committee that selected the new Lively-Fulcher organ for the church, which she was shown playing just three and a half weeks before her death.
A Memorial Service in celebration of Pat’s life will be held at the Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University at 7 p.m. May 24, 2015. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, gifts to PEO, Rotary or the church of your choice be considered. Address for condolences: Dr. Laura Booth Chan, 1267 Malone Road, Victor, NY 14564. A guest book may be signed at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.
