Patricia Kubelle, born in 1952, grew up in Sayville, N.Y. Sadly, Patty had a terrible car accident on the way home for Christmas break from college in 1972.
There are really no words that can express the heartbreak of her loss.
The loss, the thoughts of what could have been, the beautiful soul is taken away.
It’s time to celebrate the amazing person Patty was by sharing her story.
Patty was from a proud immigrant family. Her grandfather and great-grandfather immigrated from the Czech Republic in 1911. Her grandfather Jordan Kubelle was born in 1885. He became a US citizen by 1926. He married Anna and had one son Otto.
Otto, Patty’s dad was born in 1916 in New York. He married Dorothy Newton. They had 3 children, one was Patty. Otto was a successful accountant, and a noted Sayville sports star according to local papers – baseball and basketball, later in life a tennis pro.
Throughout Patty’s time, in Sayville schools, she was an honor student making the honor roll repeatedly. She also was an avid athlete. She joined the CYO with her sister and they both did well in the track competitions. By high school and college, with the help of her pro tennis player dad, she became a successful tennis player.
Patty joined many organizations in the community- the Girl Scouts, was an honor society member, the girls’ leaders corp, a member of her church choir, the CYO, the high school and college tennis teams, glee club, Up with People and so many more.
Patty attended Greene Ave Elementary where began her love of music. By high school, Patty found she had a beautiful voice and started taking part in all manner of vocal pursuits.
She was a soloist in her church choir. Joined a Sayville branch of the Up With People Singing group. The group performed at many community events.
But her love of singing really took off in her junior year of high school when she took a starring role in the musical Carousel. Building on her success with Carousel, she took the starring role in The Music Man, her senior year.
Patty graduated from high school and entered S.U.N.Y. at Fredonia. As in high school, Patty jumped right into college life. She became a music major. And of course, she joined a variety of college performance groups, Fredonia Opera Theatre Workshop.
Of course, with her love of tennis, she joined the tennis team and was a part of an undefeated college tennis team her first year at college.
Patty never sat still. She continued her honors scholastic performance and settled into college life.
Patty worked the first summer of her freshman year as a nurse’s aide at Pilgrim State Hospital. She used some of the money to save up for a car. Patty in her brief life was an honors student, an accomplished athlete, and developed a love of singing and performing.
Patty’s family set up a-
Patricia A. Kubelle Vocal Music Award,
awarded each year at Sayville High School, this year’s(2021) winner Paige Gazer.
I was one of the fortunate people who knew Patty. We shared a homeroom for 4 years while in high school. I remember Patty as a kind soul with a positive attitude. She had no interest in being in the “in crowd”. She proved through everything she did and accomplished that she could stand alone. Her confidence and kindness always shined through. After high school, I never saw Patty again. But I remember Patty to this day.
RIP Patty, we miss you and I know the choir above needed to add a beautiful soprano; they got so much more.
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