Patricia Dorothy Rinaldi's Obituary
Patricia Dorothy Rinaldi (nee Kilgard), passed away on January 29, 2024, at the age of 85. A Miami native, she was born in Victoria Hospital on November 9, 1938 to loving parents Frank and Dorothy Kilgard and grew up with her younger sister Janet and baby brother Frank. She was raised in a Miami of gentler times, where she attended Coral Gables Elementary School, Ponce de Leon Middle School and Coral Gables Senior High. After graduation, she attended the University of Miami where she received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education. After graduation, she took a solo trip to Spain as a gift from her parents, before starting her teaching career at Gables High as a Spanish Teacher.
While teaching at Gables, she met a handsome young man who would later go on to become her husband of 56 years, Leo Rinaldi. They settled into a new house in Westchester, where she and Leo welcomed their three children, Rosemarie, Elaine and Steven. When she became pregnant with her first child, Patricia left teaching to raise her young family. She was a very devoted and attentive mother, making her children’s clothes, taking Elaine to all her piano lessons and ensuring that she practiced, volunteering for the PTA, and teaching CCD at St. Timothy’s Catholic church.
She went back to school to earn her master’s degree in early childhood education, and returned to work, teaching Kindergarten and then 2nd-grade at Blue Lakes Elementary School. In her free time, Patricia enjoyed crafting and needlework, crossword puzzles, and decorating the house for the holidays (especially Christmas). Patricia and Leo traveled the world together on many trips and cruises. They enjoyed entertaining, and often threw themed parties where they shared what they saw and learned on their travels. She was an active member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and spent wonderful times at Dadeland Mall with her mall-walking group. She was an avid music lover and served on the boards of the Miami Civic Music Association and Orchestra Miami.
In the ultimate cruel irony, the Miami girl who hated going in the sun and didn’t know how to swim, developed skin cancer, which eventually took her life. She was a fighter to the end, despite losing most of her vision and becoming dependent on others for her care.
We are eternally grateful to her loving caretakers, originally Judy Prescott and Jamie Ramnarase, and later Pauline Gentiles, Maxine Shields and Danielle Shields. These amazing women provided excessive amounts of love, care and devotion to our mother in her final years. She is survived by her children, Rosemarie Lynne Rinaldi, Elaine Louise Rinaldi (Mario Ingoglia), and Steven Leo Rinaldi (Grizel); sister Janet Kilgard Barbour and brother Frank Kilgard and their families, and step grandson Enrique Kin (Marissa). Patricia was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Leo Rinaldi.
A viewing/visitation will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 2-6 PM at Van Orsdel Funeral Home, located at 11220 N Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176. The Funeral Mass will take place on Monday, February 5, 2024, at 11 AM at St. Timothy's Catholic Church, located at 5400 SW 102 Avenue, Miami, FL 33165.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests charitable donations to be made to Orchestra Miami. Contributions can be sent to PO Box 557598, Miami, FL 33255-7598 or made online at www.OrchestraMiami.org.
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