Christine Patrick

BRUNSWICK – Christine Patrick, the grandmother of Natalie, Isabel and Tristan Burch, and Cyrus McCurdy, and the mother of Jenny Burch, died peacefully on Oct. 16, 2023 at Horizons Living and Rehab Center in Brunswick.

Christine was the daughter of Donald Senecal and Helen Schell Senecal. She was born on Aug. 12, 1948 and grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Gallupville, N.Y. She began studying piano when she was four and attended Schoharie Central School, graduating in 1966. During her childhood years, Christine participated in every aspect of farming, driving trucks and tractors from the age of 8, forward; she learned to bake, garden, can and preserve; served as church organist from the age of 14; and played flute and piccolo in the school band.

Following high school, Christine studied music and education, first at Hartwick College, then graduating from SUNY Potsdam. She began her first teaching job, elementary vocal music teacher, at Draper School in Rotterdam, N.Y., in 1970, and continued her piano studies. At Draper, she met her future husband, Ronald Patrick, who was the elementary and junior high band director. The two clashed stunningly until they were assigned to perform together at a faculty recital. After their first practice, they were inseparable.

Ronald and Christine married on July 23, 1972 and told their families about it afterward. They began their homesteading adventure and took their honeymoon at Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg, later that summer. That honeymoon was Christine’s first trip to the beach. She heard seagulls the first morning, and remarked that someone had brought their chickens camping!

Christine was a regular participant in New York’s Capital District chamber music scene during the early days of her marriage.

Ronald and Christine welcomed their first child in 1973, after which Christine devoted many years to raising her children as her primary and most treasured work. During those years, Christine played with her children outdoors in all seasons, read thousands of stories aloud, inspired her children with spectacular piano practicing at nap time; raised, canned, pickled and froze nearly enough food to feed the family; became a master seamstress; created elaborately decorated cakes for everyone’s special occasions; served as organist and choir director at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, then began her long career as organist and choir director at Bellevue Reformed Church; and got her start as a frequent Music Director at Schenectady Light Opera Company.

Christine returned to teaching in 1985 when she accepted the elementary vocal music teaching position for Pine Grove, Mariaville and Woestina Elementary Schools in the Schalmont School District. Christine took great pride in supporting her students’ successes in all subject areas through their experiences with music and dance in her classrooms, and in truly listening to and incorporating all children’s ideas to augment the December and Spring productions at each school. Christine regularly marveled that she was repeatedly called to justify the continued funding for music in the schools before the School Board, but never failed to successfully make the case that music education is essential to students’ success in all areas.

At Schenectady Light Opera Company, Christine was part of SLOC’s first-ever all female production team. Her productions include: “Bells are Ringing”, “The Boyfriend”, “My Fair Lady”, “The Music Man”, “Annie”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Hello Dolly”, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Best Little House in Texas”. She enjoyed recruiting and conducting the pit orchestra.

Christine devoted many years to the ministries at Bellevue Reformed Church in Schenectady, where she molded the church’s music program to include an overflowing choir loft each week with adult choir, youth choir, children’s choir and cherub choir. She was instrumental in forming and sustaining the church’s youth group, brought Bellevue into a leadership role for the Kids Hope USA program, and worked tirelessly to support her church’s outreach efforts to its own neighborhood. While running the Kids Hope program, Christine also mentored many children.

Christine received the Schenectady YWCA’s Woman of Vision award around 1990 in recognition for her creativity and contributions to the community.

Christine never missed the Old Songs Festival in Altamont, N.Y. each June. She loved supporting all varieties of great music, enjoyed the contra-dancing and lived for the Sacred Harp Shape Note sing in the acoustically exciting sheep shed. In addition, Christine almost never missed an Albany Symphony Concert, and was a frequent attendee at the Metropolitan Opera. She was a regular accompanist, performer and organizer for the “Beat the Snow Concert Series” at the Schenectady Public Library.

Christine was the master of throwing a party. Her crisp dill pickles fetched shocking prices at benefit auctions. She loved visiting America’s National Parks with her husband. She took loving care of her husband through his last illness, and felt profound gratitude toward her neighbors and greater community who surrounded her during those emotional times.

Well into the journey of Alzheimer’s Disease, a fact then known only to those closest to her, Christine moved to Harpswell to live with her daughter soon after Ronald’s death. In Harpswell, Christine became a regular at the Orrs Island Library and the Giant Stairs Café. She made new friends and took up yoga and ping pong at People Plus in Brunswick. She continued her obsession with pulling weeds- sometimes removing entire gardens, having forgotten the difference between garden plant and weed. She rediscovered the foods she loved daily. She took one last road trip across the United States with Jenny, Natalie, Isabel, Tristan and Cyrus, stopping first at the Old Songs Festival, then visiting Glacier National Park, the E bar L Ranch in Montana, Yellowstone National Park, the Badlands, and Crazy Horse Mountain, creating memorable quotes about not remembering where she was, but loving it all the same.

Christine’s Alzheimer’s Journey has been an amazing testament to her faith, strength and character. She accepted the progression of the disease with indescribable grace, never once complaining about the disease and what it meant for her future. She made her own decision to move into care and found love, support, relaxation, joy and friendship in the community of others on a similar journey at Avita of Brunswick. Christine truly had a meaningful and fulfilling life at Avita, where she continued her life of service to others as an active friend and support to her community members there. She found similar love and support in the final days of her journey at Horizons in Brunswick, looking out over the fields of Crystal Spring Farm. As her language failed her, she let music be her way to connect with others. Christine never failed to express immense appreciation for the work and efforts of those around her. She continued to play piano until the very last days of her life.

Christine was predeceased by her husband, Ronald Patrick; and her parents, Helen Schell Senecal and Donald Senecal.

Christine is survived by her daughter, Jenny Burch, son-in-law, Curt Fish, and grandchildren, Natalie Burch, Isabel Burch, Tristan Burch and Cyrus McCurdy; her daughter, Lara Patrick, and grandchildren, Rachel Valois and Jocelyn Valois; her sister, Margaret “Peggy” Scudiere, and brother-in-law, John Scudiere; her niece, Susan Sharp, and Susan’s family, Ken Sharp, and Andrew, Daniel and Nathan Sharp; her niece, Rebecca Blumhofer, and Rebecca’s family, Jonathan Blumhofer, and Lydia and Ben Blumhofer; her niece, Elizabeth Dutton and Elizabeth’s husband, John Dutton; her aunt, Charlotte Senecal; many cousins; her brothers and sisters-in-law, R. Lee Patrick, Keith and Beverley Patrick, Lois Preece, and Tom and Melissa Patrick; and all of their collective children and grandchildren.

Visiting hours in Maine will be held Friday, Oct., 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stetson’s Funeral Home, 12 Federal St., Brunswick. Visiting hours in New York will be held Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Bond Funeral Home, 1614 Guilderland Ave., Schenectady, N.Y.; her service will be at Bellevue Reformed Church, 2000 Broadway, Schenectady, N.Y. on Monday at 10 a.m., and her burial will be in the Gallupville Rural Cemetery.

Local arrangements are by Stetson’s Funeral Home, where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family at http://www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, the Orrs and Bailey Island Fire Department, or the Alzheimer’s Association in Christine’s memory.