Sister Pat Perry, who founded Sr. Pat's Home in Olean, died April 11, 2019, at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany. She was 82.

Born Patricia Ann Perry, on March 22, 1937 in Cortland, the daughter of Charles and Charlotte McGuire Perry attended St. Mary Elementary and High Schools in Cortland. There, she met the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Following graduation, she attended Buffalo and Cortland State Universities and later earned her bachelor's degree in Education from St. Elizabeth Teacher College, a satellite of St. Bonaventure University. Sister earned an associate degree in Assistant Physical Therapy from Springfield Community College in Massachusetts.

Sister Pat was received into the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse on Aug. 15, 1957, and professed her final religious vows on Aug. 16, 1964. For 62 years, Sister lived her commitment to Franciscan values through her ministry and life in community.

Sister taught in elementary schools in New York, Massachusetts and Florida. In 1973, after her training in physical therapy, she was transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Olean, where her direct contact with patients was the beginning of a wonderful and fulfilling mission for her. In 1983, she had a deep desire of opening a proprietary home to serve the needs of the elderly in the greater Olean area. This became a reality when "Sr. Pat's Home" opened on May 7, 1986. For a short time in the mid-1990s, Sister was local minister for the infirmary at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. She resumed her position as administrator of Sr. Pat's Home from 1996-2018.

On March 31, 2018, Sister Pat moved to St. Elizabeth Motherhouse and officially retired.

She is survived by a sister, Dorothy Stevens, and brother, John Perry.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, April 16, at 10:30 a.m., in the Chapel of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, followed by burial in St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Allegany.