Patricia Ann Bryson

In the spirit of my mom, this obituary is late. Not late due to poor time management; late because, well, we didn’t want it to happen. Ever. Especially not so soon. I am wholeheartedly devastated to say that my mom, Patricia “Pat” Bryson (nee Harper) passed away on Saturday, the 18th of May, 2024, at the age of 73, with her family by her side. My mom was, without a doubt, the best friend, confidant, and supporter, but also the best at just being our mom. It’s been a while since she’s had to threaten one of us, suggesting to ‘slap us into next week’—she never actually did, but it worked and we respected and loved her for it.

My older brother recommended we add that “she was soft-spoken and never had a bad word to say about anyone”. If you knew her, you’d know that’s… kind-of true. Really though, she was funny and sarcastic, but mostly caring and thoughtful, always putting us, her family, first. Her friends, too. If she cared about you, you’d know it by her way of finding you small gifts, tokens of her affection, that she acquired for a ‘great deal’ somewhere, but truly meant the world to those who received them. She had a knack for remembering little things that were special to each of us and finding a way to provide them in abundance—even if it was just letting you know your favorite snack was on sale at the store and that she’d grabbed a package for you. I literally don’t know how we’re all going to survive, knowing that my mom doesn’t have a bag of clothes or food waiting for us, anymore. Everything she did was for us.

She lived a very interesting and sometimes challenging life, born in Japan and moving to different parts of the world with her family, before finally landing in the US and building a family and new life of her own. She experienced so much in her lifetime that I never had the opportunity to hear about, but I know that she was truly special; known and loved for being exactly who she was, including so many things before I knew her as my mom. She instilled in all of us her stubborn tenacity, sense of humor, and practicality, and left behind a legacy of adult kids and grandkids who hopefully grow up with the same inclinations.

Though she was very private, there were a few close friends who knew my mom, in some ways better than we did, and we can’t thank them enough for supporting her and looking out for her when we weren’t able. My mom was so strong, so independent, so smart—she never wanted to ask for help from anyone. But in her last weeks, when she did need help, I’m thankful that she had a few friends to lean on. Despite the shock and devastation, I’m glad I could be with her, annoy her, and tell her I loved her a million more times than she probably felt like listening to during her last few days. Though her impact on this earth may seem small, I think anyone who crossed her path (well, anyone who didn’t suck) would agree that life would not have been the same without her. It won’t. But, like she would tell me over and over again, “everything’s gonna be OK”… eventually.

If you’d like to carry on Pat’s legacy of sharing ‘neat’ things with others, please consider donating to the York Regional Dream Center’s Harvest Café (Operated by Grace Fellowship Church in Shrewsbury). My mom enjoyed helping out at the Community Closet, but benefitted greatly from, not only the food, but also the true friendship she found at the Café. Please consider making a donation in her memory. Hartenstein Funeral & Cremation Care, Inc. of New Freedom assisted the family with the arrangements. HartensteinCares.com