Patricia (Patty) Anne Hartnett (nee O’Keefe) of Etobicoke, Ontario, passed away July 2, 2019, peacefully at home at the age of 73, after a valiant battle with lung cancer.
Born in Grand Prairie, AB, Patty’s family moved to Toronto when she was only 3 months old. A graduate of Loretto Brunswick and Valedictorian in her graduating year of University of Toronto in Physiotherapy and OT, Patty decided to see the world and make it a better place with a three year stint working with CUSO in Jaipur, India. During this time abroad, childhood sweetheart William (Bill) Hartnett decided to cross his fingers and make the trip of a lifetime to visit Patty, propose and have a traditional Indian ceremony abroad. On their return to Toronto, Patricia and William were married in front of family and friends at Our Lady of Sorrows on January 24th, 1970.
While raising three children, and working full time, Patricia continued her studies in Toronto, upgrading her POTS diploma first to a Masters of Science Degree and then continuing on to earn a double Masters in Healthcare Administration. Her professional career included St Michael’s Hospital, where Patty began as an active therapist but moved her way up to Director of ReHab within a few short years. Patty’s accreditations include the design and implementation of an innovative new outpatient clinic model at St Michael’s that continues to improve the life of thousands of people; becoming a leading facilitator, hands on instructor and student mentor in an active teaching hospital; being instrumental in the creation of the Standards of Practice used in all Physio colleges in Canada; and, spending an unprecidented two terms as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Physiotherapy for Canada. As efficient and effective as she was as an administrator, at the age of 53, she chose to return to her passion of being an active, frontline, hands-on physiotherapist at Westpark Hospital.
As a past Swimming instructor, lifeguard and Lady of Sorrow’s choir member, Patty became a cross stitch master and voracious reader with the added ability to crochet a Christmas stocking, baby blanket or even a bedspread in a few hours, Patty’s true passion was in loving her Grandchildren, and without doubt, she was hands-down one of the best Grandma’s ever.
Patty will be sorely missed by her ‘four’ children Bill, Laura Jayshree, Patrick and John; Grandchildren Riley, Fallon, Alessia & Aiden; her expanded family of Lorraine Hartnett, Maria Hartnett and Richard Meaney; and siblings Trudy, Michael and Noreen. Patricia is predeceased by her parents Catherine and Jim O’Keefe and second mother Irene Allen.
Fond memories of the kitchen table, coffee, flip flops, THE orange jacket, Lake of The Clouds, dancing in the living room to ABBA & Nana Mouskouri, crocheting, an indescribable laugh, baking number cakes with hazardous ingredients, the recipe box, Six Mile Lake, buoyancy skills beyond compare, Tilley Hats , PLAN B, Kajama boat cruises, Grandma winning the DANCER of the DAY at Disneyworld, the tree at Centennial Park, The Hartnett Holi Festival, are all getting the family through this difficult time
Born in Grand Prairie, AB, Patty’s family moved to Toronto when she was only 3 months old. A graduate of Loretto Brunswick and Valedictorian in her graduating year of University of Toronto in Physiotherapy and OT, Patty decided to see the world and make it a better place with a three year stint working with CUSO in Jaipur, India. During this time abroad, childhood sweetheart William (Bill) Hartnett decided to cross his fingers and make the trip of a lifetime to visit Patty, propose and have a traditional Indian ceremony abroad. On their return to Toronto, Patricia and William were married in front of family and friends at Our Lady of Sorrows on January 24th, 1970.
While raising three children, and working full time, Patricia continued her studies in Toronto, upgrading her POTS diploma first to a Masters of Science Degree and then continuing on to earn a double Masters in Healthcare Administration. Her professional career included St Michael’s Hospital, where Patty began as an active therapist but moved her way up to Director of ReHab within a few short years. Patty’s accreditations include the design and implementation of an innovative new outpatient clinic model at St Michael’s that continues to improve the life of thousands of people; becoming a leading facilitator, hands on instructor and student mentor in an active teaching hospital; being instrumental in the creation of the Standards of Practice used in all Physio colleges in Canada; and, spending an unprecidented two terms as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Physiotherapy for Canada. As efficient and effective as she was as an administrator, at the age of 53, she chose to return to her passion of being an active, frontline, hands-on physiotherapist at Westpark Hospital.
As a past Swimming instructor, lifeguard and Lady of Sorrow’s choir member, Patty became a cross stitch master and voracious reader with the added ability to crochet a Christmas stocking, baby blanket or even a bedspread in a few hours, Patty’s true passion was in loving her Grandchildren, and without doubt, she was hands-down one of the best Grandma’s ever.
Patty will be sorely missed by her ‘four’ children Bill, Laura Jayshree, Patrick and John; Grandchildren Riley, Fallon, Alessia & Aiden; her expanded family of Lorraine Hartnett, Maria Hartnett and Richard Meaney; and siblings Trudy, Michael and Noreen. Patricia is predeceased by her parents Catherine and Jim O’Keefe and second mother Irene Allen.
Fond memories of the kitchen table, coffee, flip flops, THE orange jacket, Lake of The Clouds, dancing in the living room to ABBA & Nana Mouskouri, crocheting, an indescribable laugh, baking number cakes with hazardous ingredients, the recipe box, Six Mile Lake, buoyancy skills beyond compare, Tilley Hats , PLAN B, Kajama boat cruises, Grandma winning the DANCER of the DAY at Disneyworld, the tree at Centennial Park, The Hartnett Holi Festival, are all getting the family through this difficult time
Guestbook
Visits: 35
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors