Patricia Gallaugher

Patricia, Patty, Pat, Mom, Fancy Grandma, and Grandma Patty was a wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch, confidant, peacemaker, sister, and caregiver, and she was our glue.

Patty was devout, kind, funny, honest, strong, independent, and generous to a fault. She would move heaven and earth to help someone, which she did a lot.

Patty was the oldest of five children. She had a wonderful childhood filled with fun provided by her dad Dudley and a close bond with her grandparents. She always talked about her grandma McDaniel whom she would eat pickles in the dark while they watched movies.

She grew up in Denver, where she lived on Alcott St and attended St. Katherines, Beech Court, and Horace Mann schools before moving to Westminster, where she attended Josephine Hoskins Junior High, followed by Westminster High School.

She loved her house on Alcott. This is where she met her lifelong best friend Jean, who lived next door. She had a collection of Storybook Dolls which her dad built special shelves for. She loved those dolls; they were the first collection she started.

She also collected autographs of her friends and family in her autograph book. She wrote letters to celebrities for signed photos. She had a scrapbook full of them, including Marlon Brando, Greggory Peck, and Maureen O’Hara, a beautiful redhead like her.

Her celebrity craze continued when she and her friends started the Pat Boone fan club. She was the president, and her friend Judy was the secretary. They made beanies, wrote letters, and were even featured in the newspaper when he came to town getting his autograph. It wasn’t that they were huge Pat Boone fans; they just wanted to meet a celebrity.

Her favorite uncle Charley taught her how to drive. The only problem was that Charley drove with two feet because of an injured right leg, so he taught her to brake with her left foot. No matter how often her dad or husband tried to teach her to use a clutch, it ended in a comical disaster.

In high school, Patty was a speech and debate champion. She participated in tons of clubs and was even a majorette. In her senior year, her schedule was full of all secretarial classes, which prepared her for her first job at Walzack Realty in Westminster. She talked about that job a lot and loved learning all about the real estate business.

She met the love of her life, John Gallaugher, in 1961, when he was working at Herbs Service Station on 72nd in Westminster. Theirs was a whirlwind romance, and they were married on June 15, 1962. The priest who married them said it wouldn’t last because John was not Catholic. His prediction was wrong because they had a wonderfully long and happy marriage.

Their first apartment was on Lowell Boulevard, and in 1963, they bought a house. Shortly after, their daughter Kay was born in 1964, followed by their second daughter Kris in 1966.

Since that house was supposed to be their “starter home,” Patty loved to look at show homes and imagine what living in a larger place would be like. But in the end, that starter home became their forever home because they loved it too much to move.

When her daughters started growing up, she went to work at St. Mark Catholic Church as a secretary and stayed for more than 25 years. She did the job of three people, and she loved it. She was very active in her Parish. She taught religious education classes and was a commentator, reader, and Eucharistic Minister at Mass. She would happily fill in when someone couldn’t make their time slot. She also volunteered for anything else needed and possibly contributed more funeral luncheon food over the years than anyone else.

She was an excellent cook. She always made the most basic things taste better; even her pancakes were better than anyone else. No one could replicate her recipes, even when she shared the recipe with them. Her stuffing and gravy at Thanksgiving was the stuff of legend, and everyone couldn’t wait for their annual soda bread she would deliver on St. Patrick's Day. She made yummy jam and shared it with everyone she knew.

She loved and was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She made everything special and fancy for them. She couldn’t wait for a holiday or birthday to find them the perfect gift. Or take them school shopping and out to lunch.

She would get down on the floor with her grandkids and play any game they wanted. She would pretend to be whatever character was required. She loved playing cards and was not only lucky but skilled. She was so lucky her husband wouldn’t play with her because she always won. He said she cheated. When Spider Solitaire arrived on the internet, she became hooked for life. She said it kept her brain sharp, and played it every night before bed.

She looked forward to her “sister days,” when they would all get together for lunch to celebrate birthdays and holidays. She was close to them all and loved them very much. She was their compass and their glue.

She always looked put together with her hair, makeup, jewelry, and a different Vera Bradley purse every month—yet another collection.

Her favorite things were her garden, reading, tv programs, shopping at Target, and creating her monthly tablescape from her creamer and sugar collection. She liked reading her newspaper with her tea in the morning. Her favorite shows were NCIS, The Masked Singer, Murder She Wrote, and Monk. She read every Sue Grafton novel, and her new goal was to read every Louise Penny book. She couldn’t wait for spring to work in her garden and plant her pots. Just a few weeks ago, she bought what she said was the perfect tomato plant.

Patty had a full and wonderful life. For everyone she knew, she filled them with love and made their lives wonderful too.

There are no words to express how much we will miss Patty. She is in the best place now, and we ask you to pray for her eternal rest with our loving savior Jesus. …..

Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, John Gallaugher; her father, Dudley George Brauch;

her mother, Patricia Ann (McDaniel) Brauch and her brother, Michael Brauch. She is survived by her daughters Kay Snell, who is married to Joe Snell, and Kris Krelovich, who is married to Paul Krelovich. Her grandchildren Alyssa, Jacob, Samantha, Ella, and Abby. And her great-grandchildren Livi, Walker, and Cooper. Her sisters Kelly Roberts, Erin Pearson, Shannon Bodwell, and Carol Shelly. Her sister-in-laws Jan Brauch and Mary Ann Oliphant. And her best friend Jean Mavromatis

Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 10:00 am at St. Mark Catholic Church, 3141 W 96th Ave, Westminster, CO 80031. Following the service the family invites everyone to join them in a luncheon in the hall at 11:00am. Committal Service will take place on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 9:15am at Fort Logan National Cemetery Staging area B.