Ken Gullette
Pat was in my Tai Chi class from 1999 to 2007, when my wife Nancy and I moved. Pat was my type of student. She heckled me from the back row. Sometimes, she made mildly inappropriate comments that made the class laugh. I love irreverent students, and she had a great, sharp wit. I have a background in broadcast news and PR. She would have been a blast to work with, and she must have been a female pioneer in her younger years. Despite neuropathy that was progressing, she rarely missed a class. She used to joke that she deserved a "polka dot sash" instead of a black sash (black belt). So one evening I surprised her by presenting her with a custom-made sash with pink polka dots on it. A few times, Pat and Skip Hackett (a.k.a. Marilyn Hackett) and I met for a "Girls' Lunch" at Rudy's Tacos. The last one was about five years ago. I contacted Senior Star, the retirement home where she lived, several months ago, trying to go see her. I was told she had passed away. They were wrong, and I'm sorry I didn't get to see her again. If I ever teach a group class again, I'm sure I'll hear Pat's voice in my head, heckling me from the back row.