Obituary of Patricia Jane Bellavia

Patricia Jane Bellavia, passed away unexpectedly on Friday afternoon, November 9, 2018 at the age of 67.   Patti spent her early childhood in Somerville until the age of 6, when her family settled in Burlington in 1957.  After graduating from Burlington High School in 1969, she went on to earn an Associate’s Degree from Massachusetts Bay Community College and her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development from Boston State, working her way through her degree programs as a part-time employee at Len’s Fish Store in Burlington.

After college, Patti worked for 40 years at Sears in Burlington, first as a retail clerk, and then moving into various management positions. Patti managed the cash office for many years, but later managed the Children’s Department, which seemed like a natural match for her love of children.  After her retirement from Sears, she owned and operated a home daycare called “Patti Cakes Daycare” for 10 years, and prior to her formal professions, she had been a volunteer counselor for the town of Burlington working with special needs children.

Patti is remembrered for the energy and drive she demonstrated throughout her life. During her long and busy retail career, she also earned a professional massage therapy license and launched her own part-time massage business called “Touch for Health” in Woburn, Massachusetts. In recent years, though retired from full-time work, she kept active by working as a switchboard operator for HealthSouth in Woburn. 

Outside of work, Patti had a passion for horses and was an accomplished equestrian.  For over 30 years, she competed in equestrian shows all over New England.  During that time, she owned and trained with several horses, loving each of them as children. She housed them in various stables on the North Shore, and she spent most of her free time caring for them and training for horse shows.  Many weekends, she would pack up her truck with her equipment, load up the horse trailer, and drive to competitions around New England. She won numerous ribbons and trophies over the years.  She also suffered a few injuries from falls, which she considered a natural part of the sport.  She had a great circle of friends within the equestrian community who shared their love for horses and enthusiasm for the sport.

Patti was very dedicated to her parents, siblings, and nephews.  She loved doing puzzles and playing board games as a family and loved family holiday gatherings.  She was a fantastic cook with a passion for creating delicious meals for her family and friends.  As a New Year’s Eve tradition, she made Chinese meals from scratch, and at each holiday, she continued her mother’s and grandmother’s traditions by cooking and baking Italian holiday favorites like Pizzagaina and Pizza Dolce. 

Patti also had a green thumb and spent hours in the yard tending to the flower gardens and landscaping. She was also a lover of animals who rescued, cherished, and filled her home with animals of all kinds – dogs, cats, birds, and fish.  She lived her dreams, followed her passions, and always kept her family bond strong.

Patti was the devoted daughter of the late Joseph and Sylvia Bellavia. She was the loving sister of Diane of Tewksbury, Laura of Keene, NH, Linda of Burlington, and Matthew of Alameda, CA. She was the special aunt of Jason and Nathan Ratliff. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington.  A burial will follow at Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Patricia’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1893, Memphis, TN 38101-9950 or www.stjude.org.