Aloha everyone. I am Judy, Patrick's daughter-in-law, and it was an honor to call this amazing man Dad.

In November, Patrick found out he had end stage prostate cancer that was directly related to excessive chemical exposure while serving in the Navy. The cancer was aggressive and spreading so quickly that his entire spine and left clavicle were consumed by cancer within days. He was given 2-4 weeks to live and placed in a care facility due to needing 24 hour a day care. There was nothing more that could be done and he was put on palliative care. Dad's last wish was to pass in the comfort and peace of his own home, surrounded by his children, grandkids and his first true love, Judy Ann; his children's mother, whom he had reconnected with 7 years ago after being apart for more than 30 years.

Due to his declining health from other lifelong service related illnesses, he was unable to maintain their home and property and it was unsafe for him to return to. As a family we couldn't allow him to pass in the care facility, without dignity and completely alone. My husband (his son) and I came from out-of-state, pooled our limited resources with my sister-in-law and her family and completed a massive overhaul of the home he and his true love shared. After thousands of dollars and a week of 16 hour work days, the home was finally clean, safe and able to accommodate the necessary medical equipment Dad needed. We all agreed to be Dad's caregivers as the VA denied his hospice care and other needed services. An amazing local care company agreed to provide nursing oversight and respite care, even though they knew they wouldn't be getting compensated for quite some time due to the family having to pay out of pocket for their service. They provided support anyway.

His son and daughter picked him up from the care center on December 14th and had one last adventure with their dad. They took him to McDonald's, drove the long way home so he could see the deer, listened to Roger Miller and talked about all of the beautiful moments in life they had shared with their father. Once home, Dad slowly gave into the idea of comfort care and realized it was ok for us to finally take care of him.

Dad passed away peacefully on December 16th at 12:10am, his heart and home full of love, exactly the way he wanted it to be.

Dad also suffered from vascular dementia for the last few years. His neurological deficits made it difficult to complete necessary paperwork and important appointments to ensure he and Judy Ann would be taken care of, even after his death. He thought he had bought a life insurance policy that would take care of everything, which was difficult on his fixed income but he insisted so as not to be a burden. He paid on it for years. We have since found out it was a useless dental and vision plan he had been talked into and because of the dementia, he didn't realize what he had bought. He truly thought he had finally made sure no one would have to worry about anything after he was gone.

Sadly, his fixed income didn't allow for other investments or policies that would have provided for his expenses and Judy Ann's care. He would have been heartbroken to know that every expense, including being laid to rest, is now his children's responsibility.

Patrick was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, Navy veteran and so much more. He spent his life serving others and bringing smiles and joy to everyone he met. His family would greatly appreciate your help honoring his belief that he never be a burden to the people he cherished. Please consider donating even $5 to Patrick's Memorial Fund so we as a family can truly make his last wishes come true.

Mahalo for your kindness and support. Every little bit gets us one step closer to realizing Dad's dream.