This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Patricia Pender Gedney

Patricia Mary Pender “Pat” Gedney, 94, passed peacefully on Sept. 10, 2024, after a short illness. Pat was recently predeceased by her husband of 70 years, Richard “Dick” Gedney of Madison. She was born in Greenwich on March 28, 1930, to Hugh Martin Pender and Anna (Weiss) Pender. Pat was a fixture in the art scene of her adopted hometown of Madison.

Pat was predeceased by her siblings, Marie (Pender) Bassett, Helen Rose (Pender) O’Donnel, and Hugh Martin Pender Jr.

Born on a farm in north Greenwich, her early life revolved around her family. Graduating from Greenwich High School, Pat went on to study art in New York City. A lifelong painter in watercolor and oils, Pat was a graduate of the Jamison Franklin School of Professional Arts in New York and was a member of the Madison Art Society and the Clinton Art Society. She studied locally with noted local artists Lou Stousberger, Jerry Caron, and Joan McPherson. Pat was a recipient of various awards for her works in watercolor and oils. Her love of painting was reinforced at age 11 when her mother bought her a set of oil paints, and she painted on cardboard that she found, often running out of “easels.” At her summer house in upstate New York, she painted an “old fisherman,” and a gentleman from New York City bought it to hang in his office. Pat never looked back and painted the rest of her life, finishing a painting this year of her granddaughter’s wedding in Essex. She and Dick frequently set out to visit and paint many waterfalls in Connecticut well into their 80s.

Pat’s Artist’s eye helped her in her first career at Mead’s of Greenwich Art Supply Department and later at Bloomingdales in Stamford as a manager and buyer. Pat helped her husband found Kitchens By Gedney in Madison in the 1970s, a successful family business that continues to this day. Pat was instrumental in starting the family business; the idea originated with her, and she oversaw the finances in the early days while her husband concentrated on design and sales.

Pat was proud of her Irish heritage as her father immigrated from the village of Balinabanba in the parish of Fohenagh, County Galway. Pat regularly visited her relatives there and maintained an Irish Passport.

Pat was very competitive and loved playing tennis in her 20s and 30s, winning several tournaments. Pat and Dick Gedney were semi-professional ballroom dancers who won many awards in competitions throughout the northeast region. Her family was always first, and she was a vigorous supporter of her sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She could be seen at a hockey rink or play productions well into her 90s.

Pat is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Elizabeth “Liz” Gedney of Madison; son and daughter-in-law Jeffrey Hugh and Deborah Amber Gedney of Trumbull; and son and daughter-in-law Curtis Dennis and Jeanne C. Gedney of Clinton.. She is also survived by granddaughter Kathleen Tommaso and her husband David Tommaso of Madison and their daughters, Celia and Juliette; grandson Robert Warren Gedney and his wife Lena Brown of Keene, New Hampshire; granddaughter Kendra Anne Gedney and her husband Benjamin Kevin Johnson of Washington, D.C.; grandson Benjamin Gedney and his wife Leah Bergeron-Rosa of Manchester, New Hampshire; grandson Patrick Richard Gedney of Middletown; and grandson Zachary Gedney of Middletown.

Family and friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, at the Swan Funeral Home in Madison. Words of remembrance and shared memories will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home. A private burial will take place at St. Mary Cemetery in Greenwich at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Madison Art Society.