Obituary of Patricia Smith-Blessing

PATRICIA E. SMITH-BLESSING, 78, passed away peacefully at her home in Tuckerton, NJ, on September 7, 2017.  She was the widow of the late H. Kurt Blessing of Queens, NY and the daughter of Ruth J. Epifanio and Edward C. Smith, both late of Trenton, NJ.  Pat was a native New Yorker, but spent her formative years in Trenton where she graduated from Hamilton High School in 1957 and attended Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey).  The allure of air travel ended her college career in 1960 and led to an initial flight-attendant position with National Airlines.  From there Pat moved to Trans Caribbean Airlines and eventually to American Airlines in New York City, where she lived until her retirement in 2005.  Her job took her to six of the seven continents and to dozens of islands in between.  Along the way, she met celebrities, politicians, professional athletes, and thousands of just-plain folks.  Among her favorite destinations were San Juan, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.  She was quick with a smile to soothe a first-time flyer, but could deflate an unruly passenger with a single stare.  Pat received numerous awards and commendations and served for many years as a union representative.  Her career spanned more than 40 years and witnessed the transition of air travel from the glamour years of the 1960s to the mundane system that exists today.  Pat often reminisced about the early years and had a ready supply of stories to illustrate the adventure and charm of that era.  Outside of her career, Pat was a complex woman with a feisty wit tempered by a devotion to family, friends, and pets. A city girl at heart, Pat never quite adjusted to small-town life on the Jersey shore.  But she grew to love her tidy house and garden in Little Egg Harbor where she enjoyed cooking, decorating, and cruising in her white Mercedes convertible.  Pat was a consummate Sinatra fan, and her life’s philosophy is captured in the song “My Way.”  Pat is survived by her sister Beth Ann Toth (Stephen) of Little Egg Harbor, her brother Charles Epifanio (Carol) of Lewes, Delaware, two nieces, three nephews, four grandnieces and three grandnephews.  Friends are invited to call from 12-2pm on Monday September 25th, 2017 at the Maxwell Funeral Home at 160 Mathistown Road in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Popcorn Park Zoo at www.ahscares.org