Sadly, Patti Churchill succumbed this past month to the weight of age and a courageous battle with esophageal cancer with which she’d been struggling this past year. She is survived by her cousins Jillian and Gina Chesley of Santa Cruz, California, and a host of devoted friends here on the North Shore and around the world. They all knew her as the lovely, cheerful person that she was and those of us who were lucky enough to know her will always remember her peaceful presence and the warmth of her smile.
Patti was recruited as a flight attendant years ago by Trans World Airlines and remained in that role for over 35 years. When she started, she shuttled young men back and forth from San Francisco to Okinawa, one of the principal staging grounds for the Vietnam conflict. They all knew the risks they were facing but Patti provided them with that special something that made their trips less trying. The men remained in her heart for the rest of her life. When reassigned, she traveled the world with TWA, sometimes hard at work and sometimes at leisure, indulging her boundless curiosity.
Some 40 years ago, a friend suggested she settle down and buy a home in Marblehead, allowing her to keep a cat, something her travels had always prevented. She did settle in Marblehead and along with a job as Chamber of Commerce rep, she became an active — if quiet – -member of both the Church of St. Andrew and a 12-step program. She was deeply involved in both and became an example and guiding light for everyone she met. We miss her already.
A service of remembrance will be held at the Wyman Memorial Church of St. Andrew, 135 Lafayette St., on Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to her two principal charities, The Marblehead Animal Shelter on Village Street and St. Andrew’s Church.
