Patricia A. Schoelkopf, 85, of Hilton Head Island, SC, formerly of Mountville, passed away on Saturday, December 30, 2023 at Village Cove Assisted Living. She was the wife of the late, Edward Schoelkopf, Jr., who passed away on January 31, 2007, whom she married in 1965. Patricia was born in Columbia, daughter of the late Richard and Rita Keppel Pinkerton. She was a payroll clerk at ITT Grinnell in the 1950’s, where she met her husband. She also worked in payroll/accounting at Riverside Foundry and Kahn-Lucas Manufacturing. Patricia was a homemaker and volunteered as a docent at Rockford Museum. Patricia was baptized and married at Holy Trinity Catholic Church and was a member of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church prior to moving to South Carolina and was a graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School, Class of 1956.
She is survived by one daughter: Patricia Schoelkopf, wife of Kevin Lewis, Hilton Head Island, SC. Two sisters: Janet Robertson, Columbia and Rita (Patrick) Wood, Drumore. One sister-in-law: Lupina Pinkerton, Honolulu, HI and Newport, PA. Two nieces: Alanna Pinkerton and Esther Frost.
She was never one to conform to anyone, not even in her last hours. She had everyone fooled, so much so that the nurses from hospice even took her off of the transition list. Her daughter was thankful for a peaceful transition, and that no medicines had to be used to comfort her journey. Whether she was taking care of her sisters, as a teenager/young adult, her husband, her daughter, or so many of those animals that she rescued or adopted (kitties, puppies, opossums, rabbits, birds and so forth), she wanted all of those beating hearts to beat forever.
She lived by the Emily Dickinson poem:
If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin into his nest again, I shall not live in vain.
Her daughter cannot thank Village Cove Assisted Living enough for everything that they did for her since June of 2018. She definitely made her mark from her first day until her last!! The staff at Village Cove are a special group for sure!! There have been many positives that have come out of the last five and a half years. Her daughter cannot thank the staff at Village Cove enough for respecting her, protecting her integrity and embracing her spitefulness over and over again. She was even getting “picked up” by the guys to the very end. Thank you John, for always keeping her on her toes and making her smile before bedtime. She LUVED your boisterous voice, your companionship and most of all, to be picked up by your strong arms. She trusted you with all her heart. Thank you Kathy for all of your overnight care and those weekend dinners, and of course your care that morning. Thank you Jennifer, and Seconda for all your oversight! Thank you Asia, Kayla, Edith, Di, Sally, Misty, Cynthia and so many more that are part of this AWESOME community!! If you are looking for a home away from home for a loved one on HHI, please look into this facility. No matter who oversees/owns them, they continue to stand above the rest.
The Viewing will be held at the Workman Funeral Homes, Inc., 114 West Main Street, Mountville on Friday, January 5, 2024 from 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon. The Graveside Service and Burial will be in Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery at 12:30 P.M. with Rev. Daniel C. Mitzel, officiating. Please omit flowers. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to: ORCA (Organization of Responsible Care for Animals) Lancaster, 401 East Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17602 https://www.orcarescue.org/ or Crescent Hospice, 10 Buckingham Plantation Dr., Bluffton, SC 29910 https://www.hospicesc.com/make_a_donation.php To send an online condolence, visit the condolence page.
