Patrica Ann Prescott, 85, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2024 at her group home in Marshfield, Massachusetts.  Miss Prescott was born the first of three children on June 17, 1938 in Chicago to Alice Mary (Holloway) and Robert Elwyn Prescott. She moved with her family in 1942, on a train primarily carrying soldiers, to New Jersey where she and the family lived in Murray Hill during the war years.

At the end of the war the family moved to Morristown NJ where she attended elementary school. Then in 1948 she moved to Bernardsville, NJ, where the family spent the next 12 years building and improving their home.  Pats attended the Bernardsville public schools and enjoyed friendships with children in surrounding towns through activities with the Association of Retarded Children, now the Arc of Somerset County.  Life with a learning disability was never easy but her mother was a ferocious advocate for her. Pats was always cheerful and outgoing.  She loved helping those less fortunate.

In 1962 she moved with the family to Rumson, NJ where she was active in the Arc of Monmouth and worked at the Arc's The Work Opportunity Center.  She later lived in Arc group homes in Freehold and Manalapan. The group homes gave her the opportunity to live many years with some independence and the ability to assist and care for her housemates. Arc organized parties among the group homes that provided good times for dress up, socializing and dancing.  Nothing could beat a big birthday party on the lawn.

Pats loved to travel.  Booking a flight was greatly anticipated.  She traveled with her mother and father to visit younger brother, James, and his wife, Deborah, on Loun Island in the Solomon Islands. When departure neared, the islanders prepared a farewell feast for her and her parents.  They sent several canoes to a neighboring island to obtain a pig which was brought, loudly protesting, in the same canoe that carried Pats.

She visited Australia when James relocated to South Australia and saw kangaroos and Koala bears. She loved all animals, particularly horses and dogs. With The Guided Tour Co. she vacationed with other special needs people to Disneyland, Nashville's Ole Opry, and Branson, MO and flew to Massachusetts for whale watching in Plymouth. She was a good camper and hiked with family on parts of the Appalachian Trail and in Yosemite.

Pats moved to Massachusetts in 2016 to be near her brother, Robert.  In Marshfield she lived in a group home operated by Road to Responsibility.  Here she experienced 7 years of companionship, community and remarkable caring.

Patricia was predeceased by her parents.  She is survived by brother Robert and his wife, Pamela, in Marshfield and by brother, James and his wife Deborah of Mt. Gambier, South Australia. She will be missed by nephew, Robert and his wife, Qingping Zou, of Bangor, Maine, nephew Jonathan and his wife, Joann Prescott-Roy, of Bedford, Massachusetts and by grand-nephew James Zou Prescott of Salt Lake City. She will be missed by long-time friend, Paul Blesse of Alpharetta, GA and by her RTR community.

The family cannot adequately express its gratitude for the care that was given to Patricia by the staff at her RTR group home particularly in these last few difficult months. Cranberry Hospice provided very caring support to Patricia and the staff.

Patricia will be cremated by McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home in Cohasset, MA.  A celebration of her life will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Whitman from 11:00 to 2:00 on May 11, 2024.

In lieu of flowers please consider gifts to Road to Responsibility of Marshfield, Massachusetts. https://roadtoresponsibility.org/support-rtr/