Almond, NY / Olean, NY
Karen A. (Patrick) Sweezy – 61 – of 326 North 5th St., Olean, NY, formerly of Almond, died Friday evening (March 10, 2023) at her home, surrounded by her family, following a long illness.
Born in Hornell on January 10, 1962, she was the daughter of Clifford “Chup” & Stella (Brundu) Patrick.
Karen grew up in Almond and was a graduate of Alfred-Almond Central School (class of 1980). She later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from Alfred State College and a Master’s Degree in Education from Alfred University. While in high school and in college, Karen was a dedicated and talented athlete, excelling in softball and soccer. She was honored in 2016 by being inducted to the Alfred-Almond Alumni Association Sports Hall of Fame. She later served as a softball coach, passing on her love & knowledge of the game to future generations.
Karen resided in Alfred Station, Wellsville and Olean for the past several years. She was employed as a teacher for the Genesee Valley Central School where she worked as a reading specialist at the Middle School for about 10 years. She later served as an employment counselor for Pro-Action in Hornell helping to secure jobs for the unemployed. She retired about 8 years ago due to illness.
Karen was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church. She was a former member of the Hornell Moose Lodge, Carducci Lodge and the Hornell AMVETS. In her younger years, she loved spending summers in the Adirondack Mountains with her family and would search for the friendly bear named “Trouble.” Throughout the years, Karen enjoyed “crafts” and loved making beautiful quilts for family and friends, creating baptismal gowns for pre-mature babies, and bedding for the homeless. She always had a purpose for her creations that would benefit others! Karen loved the outdoors and taking long motorcycle rides with her fiancé, John Ricci and being a grandmother to Alexandria and Salvatore Sweezy.
She was preceded in death by her father, Clifford “Chup” Patrick.
Surviving are her fiancé, John Ricci with whom she resided; her son, Andrew (Kristen) Sweezy of Wellsville; 2 daughters, Maria (A. J. Butera) Sweezy of St. Petersburg, FL and Laura (Connor Insley) Sweezy of Tarrytown, NY; 3 sisters, Lisa Patrick of Hornell, Sherrill (William) Keihl of Geneseo and Mary (Fred) Grabowski of Geneseo; her mother, Stella (Brundu) Patrick of Hornell; 2 grandchildren, Alexandria Sweezy and Salvatore Sweezy; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The family of Karen A Sweezy will receive friends on Thursday from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 1:30 PM at St. Ann’s Church.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.
Karen’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Ronald McDonald House, 333 Westmoreland Drive, Rochester, NY 14620. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfunerealhome.com.
My deepest sympathies to Karen’s family. Her smile, that could light up a room, and great heart will be missed by all.
Love and prayers
Our condolences to Karen’s extended family and lovingly our nieces Maria Sweezy and Laura Sweezy. Grief is unique to each survivor but we wish for you to keep a smile on your face while you think of the good times with your Mom, your adventures and miscues, your breakout laughter, and your crazy times with just each other. Grief never goes away, especially when losing a parent. My parents have been gone for over 30 years and I still think of them often. I remember all our hijinx, our family dinners, and the holidays. When we all got together it was a large crowd with my four siblings, significant others, and grandchildren. Those are my fondest memories but I still wish I spent more time with my parents as an adult. Grief will remain but it changes more and more to happy memories if you maintain that smile now. Our thoughts and prayers are with you always. May God bless you and keep you safe. We never want to lose contact with either of you. You are key members of our family, we love you, and always wish you well. Barb and I are still hiding out in Maine and would love to have you visit.