Patricia Kurtz Rafferty

Patricia Rafferty
November 18, 1933 – February 1, 2022
On the evening of February 1, 2022, Patricia "Patti" Rafferty passed away peacefully of natural causes.
Patti was being visited and comforted by family members at her home in Marietta, Georgia at the time
of her passing. She was 88 years old.
Patti was born in Cleveland, Ohio on November 18, 1933. She was the second child of Harry L. Fox and
Dorothy Owens Fox. She attended Baldwin-Wallace College between 1952-1953. She married Ronald H.
Kurtz of Flushing, New York on June 4, 1953. Following Ronald's untimely death on January 13, 1973,
Patti returned to education at the University of North Florida, graduating in 1977. She went on to work
for the City of Jacksonville as Director for the Department of Economic Opportunity. She met Thomas
"Tom" V. Rafferty of Atlanta, Georgia. They married on July 30, 1988, and made Marietta, Georgia their
home.
Patti will be remembered by friends and family as a loving mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, but
even to those whose lives she touched only briefly she made a significant impact. While living in
Springfield, Illinois she helped found a suicide prevention hotline, and her passion and dedication to this
work undoubtedly saved numerous lives. She also played an active role within the Civil Rights
Movement her whole life.
Patti loved to read and by the time of her passing had amassed a substantial collection of books. If not
for the invention of the Kindle, with which she devoured countless more digital pages and chapters, her
personal library would certainly have swelled beyond the confines of its walls. Patti also harbored a love
for fine dining and travel. Amongst the stamps in her passport were Japan and China, as well as various
European destinations, but without a doubt her favorite place to travel to was the beach.
Of all these loves, none compare to the love Patti held for her family. To say that they will miss her
greatly is an understatement. Patti was unselfish to a fault, oftentimes to the detriment of herself. She
proffered an endless source of positivity and extended an unwavering shoulder to lean on in times of
hardship or trouble. Patti was the quintessential grandmother, insistent on spoiling her family with love
and affection at every available opportunity.
Patricia Rafferty was preceded in death by her parents Harry L. and Dorothy Owens Fox, her first
husband Ronald H. Kurtz, her second husband Thomas V. Rafferty, her youngest son, her bonus baby,
John Kurtz, and her brother Ross Fox. She is survived by her remaining children, Kathy (Guy) Stark and
Jerry (Sue) Kurtz and daughter-in-law Lynn (John) Kurtz. She will be dearly missed by her grandchildren
Justin (Wilson) Stark, Kelsey (Ollie) Lindrup and Katelyn (Holland) Kercher, Brittany, Matt (Cayla) and
Andrew Kurtz and Ronnie and Kassie Kurtz, as well as her great grandchildren Channing, John Holland,
Laila, Kayson and baby-to-be Gentry, due February of 2022. The family gives a special thanks to Patti’s
caregivers, for their love, support and unremitting attention over these last months.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11 am on Friday February 11, 2022 at the Catholic Church of St. Ann
in Marietta, GA.
 

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