Pat Traynor?

Pat Traynor

Judy, I sent you an email with my other steam boaters. Yes, sadly Pat passed this morning. As you know, she has had a long illness but her devotion and dedication to the DQ was inspiring to us all. She attended our reunion on the DQ in December though she was so ill she had to stay in her cabin much of the time. Her daughter, Sue, was with her then and we were all happy to see her and amazed that she even attempted the trip. Her memory will forever be entwined with the Delta Queen and we are working hard to bring her back to the river and with a special effort now in Pat's memory.

I will be sending out an email with all the arrangement information once I hear from Sue.

Barb Hameister called me this morning with the sad news that Pat's daughter Sue called her to say that Pat did pass away peacefully sometime during the night.

Pat will be deeply missed. She loved the DQ and other boats, and served for several years as MOR's Secretary. My sincerest sympathy goes out to Pat's family and her other friends.

Barb related that the family plans two memorial services. One will be for family and friends sometime soon and the next will be for Pat's river friends later in the year.

Thanks

Thanks for the sad confirmation. Besides Pat's DQ and river dedication, she was a Michigan State fan through and through. I hope she was able to see her Spartans win the Rose Bowl last week.

Pat was also a good sport - here's a little levity in tribute to a marvelous lady:
during an open house here for one of the river groups, I was upstairs in my river rooms and Pat was being the gracious hostess downstairs. Besides directing traffic, I had asked her to keep the Planter's Punch bowl filled. When the supply dwindled, she dutifully added more of the punch, and not being an experienced PP drinker, she added a WHOLE BOTTLE of Myers Rum. Needless to say, we had a very happy, and drowsy bunch of guests that evening!

Pat gave us all inspiration to fight the good fight, whether it be health wise or to SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN!

Yes, sad news. I'm sure we all have many happy memories of Pat and her love of the DELTA QUEEN and how hard she worked on the "work weeks" over the last few years. How wonderful of Sue and Kathy to make sure she got to the events the last few months. I know it meant so much to her to attend.

Her presence will be missed at our gatherings. We've all lost a great friend.

The Passing of a Great Lady

As Jo Ann said, we have truly lost a great friend. Pat had boundless love for the river, riverboats and river people. Among many fond remembrances, I will always be very grateful for her enthusiastic and generous support of my "River Ramblings" programs at the Howard Steamboat Museum.

In recent years, especially, Pat has been an inspiration to many of us with her determined spirit, as she battled serious health issues and never wavered in her belief that the DELTA QUEEN will run again!

My parents and I always enjoyed having Pat as a guest in our home and we'll certainly miss her warm and gracious friendship. Until we meet again, a long and two shorts of the whistle in salute to a grand lady of the river!

IMAGES:
(1) Aboard the sternwheeler VALLEY GEM at Marietta, OH, Sept., 2003
(2) At the Howard Steamboat Museum with Franz, Jo Ann and Keith - August, 2004
(3) Peeking into the pilothouse aboard the BELLE of LOUISVILLE, August, 2004

I've not posted pictures before. So if this works, here is a favorite. Gathering for an impromptu lunch in the Orleans Room. And a gathering of friends in the Forward Cabin Lounge.

Don't know why I can load the two with friends and not the one in the Orleans Room.

Here is the one in the Orleans Room.

A dear friend.

I am so glad I got the chance to see her at the reunion in December. I've gain so much by her being my friend and learned a lot. I got her Christmas card and loved reading it. I felt she was more family than friend. I have gained many family members from the Delta Queen and cherish them all. I will miss her, but know she is home and happy for evermore.
Farewell Pat #1 as there are no goodbyes as we will meet again later...

I was so happy to see that she made it to the December reunion onboard the DQ!

She´ll be deeply missed by many!!

Carmen

*Pat Traynor one classy lady*
Thanks to Judy, Frank and others for the sad report on the passing of Pat Traynor. Pat was one classy lady in anybody's book. The fine photos shared above of her much appreciated. Pat also served MOR in an exemplary manner as secretary along with assisting in the production of the fine MOR newsletter RIVERVIEW. Farewell Pat, you will be sorely missed. My sympathy to her family and legions of friends.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

Pat on board the DQ underway

Here's a few from happier? times--I question it, as these were all taken on board on the last public trip, ending in Memphis on Oct 31, 2008. Pat sharing a funny with Gabe & group in the Orleans room, The "Soot Happens" "club" by the deck bell, and Pat listening to Gabe playing the last underway calliope concert at Memphis. We (passengers) requested that we do a short cruise on our last day, as the boat was docked the whole day. Someone relented, and we had a "dinner cruise" that evening.
Pat was a special person--but most all our steamboatin' friends are special each in their own way. Pat will be especially missed, though.
Linda & David Dewey

I'm truly saddened to hear that Pat has passed on. She was always nice to be with and I, too, will miss seeing her on the river. She is in several video shots I made of the DQ and the Belle of Louisville.
-Jim Herron

Pat's obit

Here is Pat's obit from the Grand Rapids newspaper. How great of them to designate the Howard Museum for memorials!

Patricia A. Pat Traynor Obituary: View Patricia Traynor's Obituary by Grand Rapids Press

We will miss this grand lady. She was always there for us and now memorials are to be made to the Howard Museum, she is still at it! Cap'n Walnut

Pat was more than a passenger I saw once in awhile. She was a friend. We visited often on Marco Island when I worked on the Key West Express, docked there. I always enjoyed just passing the time of day with her and she would often tell me that she had seen my boat go by, calling it the Admiral Red when it was the Captain Red. She never got that right, much to my amusement.

This past season, when the AQ was in Chattanooga, I made my way over to the DQ to visit my old boat and there was Pat. She was surrounded by a crowd and I did not want to intrude. She saw me and pointed to the empty chair beside her. "Yes, ma'am". Big hug. I miss her so already.

Sympathy

I am sorry I did not know Pat. But in honor of the memories you all share I will extend my sympathy to my dot org family on her passing.

Wesley

Ms. Pat

To all of my riverboat family, a thousand thank you's for keeping my beloved mother close to your hearts through out the years. She litterally "lived" for that boat!

We will definitely being have a memorial for her on "her" boat before she pulls out of Chattanooga. I will keep you all posted...probably more like late Febuary or early March depending on the departure of the DQ.

Thanks again for welcoming her and I into the family.

See you on the boat,
Sue