Patricia G. Fleck

Patricia Fleck, age 78, of Middletown, DE, passed away at her residence on Thursday, December 24, 2015 surrounded by her loved ones, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. After graduating from Chestnut Hill College in 1958 with a B.S in Chemistry, Pat worked in the Research Library at The DuPont Company. She left to devote herself full-time to starting and raising her family. As if raising eight children was not a big enough challenge, Pat decided to pursue a new career as a nurse. In 1986, she graduated with a second B.S. degree from the Nursing School at the University of Delaware. After working briefly for Christiana Hospital, she spent more than ten years as a Public Health Nurse before retiring in 1999. Pat always appreciated every opportunity to help others. Spending time with her family was Pat’s greatest joy. She loved feeding people and spent countless hours baking delicious meals and desserts. As a result, her house was always full of family and friends. She was also a wonderful seamstress, sewing intricate, award-winning Halloween costumes and Sunday dresses for her daughters when they were young. Over the years, she devoted many hours to the Newark High School Band Boosters. In her spare time, Pat enjoyed playing the piano, reading and gardening. She was a long-time member of St. John’s-Holy Angels R.C. Church before moving to Middletown and joining St. Joseph’s Parish in 2014. Pat received a kidney transplant in 2006, and made even more of each moment she had in the following years. She never forgot the donor family’s generous gift. Her family is eternally grateful to that family, which in a moment of grief showed amazing grace and gave Pat the gift of almost 10 more years of love, laughter, children, and grandchildren. Because of this generosity, she volunteered numerous hours to Gift of Life, and encouraged everyone to become organ donors. Pat is survived by eight children, Eileen Warwick (Steven), Lois Fleck, Susan Perna (Louis), Linda DeSalvo (Gregory), Alan Fleck (Carol), Laura Flack (Brian), Diane Massaglia (Robert) and Michelle Hawley (Michael). Additionally, she leaves behind 14 grandchildren, whom she adored, Gregory, Allison “ Captain, USMC, Cassandra, Clarissa, Theodore, Sara, Calvin, Chloe, Ethan, Luke, Alex, Evan, Aidan, and Connor. She is also survived by a sister, Joan Gallagher. She was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Edwin G. Fleck, Jr., in 2011; her parents, James and Cathryn Gallagher; her brother, James Gallagher; and an infant son, John Edwin. Friends may call from 9 am until 11 am on Wednesday morning, December 30, 2015 at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 W. Park Place, Newark, DE, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12 Noon at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, E. Main and N. Chapel Streets. Interment will follow in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, 1600 South Sproul Rd., Springfield, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gift of Life Donor Program, 401 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123.