Patricia “Patty” May Kline died on February 3, 2018 at age 62, after living with Type 1 Diabetes for more than 50 years. She and her husband, Peter M. Downes, lived together on a beautiful spot on Ponaganset Reservoir in western Glocester, RI, where she swam, sailed and ice skated while she could. Patty and Peter traveled extensively, including camping throughout New England and cruising the world on Holland America Lines ten times. She is survived by her husband, Peter; step-daughters Alane Downes (William Fall) and Hilary Downes-Fortune (William “Bill”), and their children: Henry and Isabelle Fall and Rowan Fortune; sister-in-law Paula (Eric) Niedmann, and the late Jane Penelope “Penny” Jeremiah (late Jeremiah “Jerry”); godchildren Dr. Catherine “Catie” Lalonde, Dr. James “Jim” Goss, and Kelly Maurer; one of nine aunts (Jean Komorowski) and many cousins, including godmother G. Irene “Renee” Hummel. Patty wanted to acknowledge Melissa Clancy and others who helped her greatly in her later years of need; she also benefited from the care of doctors Richard Cottiero, Reginald Gohh and Charles Kahn.
Patty was born in Niagara Falls, NY, the only child of the late Ralph W. and Irene (Komorowski) Kline. She spent many summer weeks at the Clara Barton Camp for Girls with Diabetes in North Oxford, MA, as both a camper and employee (cabin counselor, head lab tech, nurse's aide and most recently administrative assistant) and traveling throughout the country on vacations with her parents. Ms. Kline was elected student council president and graduated class salutatorian from Niagara Falls High School, and was listed in “Who's Who in American High Schools.” She then attended Saint John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, where she received Bachelor degrees in biology and psychology, and was named to “Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” While teaching at the Rochester School of the Holy Childhood, where she won the city's “Teacher of the Month” award, she earned a Master's degree in special education (learning disabilities) from Nazareth College.
Then Ms. Kline moved to New England and attended Boston College where she got a second Master's degree in deaf-blind/multi-handicapped special education and a CAES (Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization) in special education administration. While at BC, Patty lived and worked at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. At the end of an administrative internship at the Massachusetts Department of Education, she was hired as a supervisor there. When that job took her to Belchertown, MA, Ms. Kline sought employment closer to where she was living in Milford, MA. Patty became the Assistant Director, then Director, of the Northwest Special Education Region in RI. She loved her work in RI, including being a past member, secretary and president of ARIASE (Association of RI Administrators of Special Education) plus many other educational, church and civic organizations but moved on to the position of Director of Student Services for Putnam, CT, until her kidneys failed and she required dialysis while awaiting a transplant which was successful for many years.
Patty was an avid crossword puzzler and Scrabble player, took piano lessons for ten years as a child and sang in many school and church choirs, including Saint Paul the Apostle RC Church in Foster, RI, where she was the director as well as an alto, and most recently a tenor at Trinity Episcopal Church in North Scituate, RI. Donations in her memory may be sent to Trinity Episcopal Church, 251 Danielson Pike, North Scituate, RI 02857; the RI Hospital Foundation Kidney and Renal Fund (and/or please consider becoming an organ donor), 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903; or The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, PO Box 356, North Oxford, MA 01537-0356. A celebration of her life, with a Requiem Eucharist Service, will be celebrated at Trinity Church in April, followed by a collation in Aldrich Hall. Inurnment of her ashes alongside her husband’s will take place in the future at the RI Veterans Cemetery in Exeter, RI.