Patricia T. Harris, mother of Father Charles W. Merkle III, parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Lake Ridge, died Nov. 16 at age 88.
Harris was born Jan. 1, 1937, in Norwich, Conn. to the late Stella and Bronislaw Tercyak. She attended local schools in Norwich and earned her nursing license from the Lawrence and Memorial School of Nursing in New London, Conn., in 1957. She retired from the state of Connecticut in June 1995.
After returning from a two-year stay in West Berlin Germany with her husband and son in 1974, Harris moved to Sterling later that year working at Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, until her move back to Norwich in 1983. After the deaths of her husband, Raymond (1987), father (2001) and mother (2006), she returned to Virginia in May 2008 and settled in Fort Valley. Last year, Harris moved to Westminster at Lake Ridge in Lake Ridge.
In addition to Father Merkle, Harris is survived by a brother, Ronald Tercyak (Linda) of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., and a niece, Carol Lynn Barrentine (Wade).
Visitation is Dec. 1, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., at Miller Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 3200 Golansky Blvd., Woodbridge, and Dec. 2, from 2-5 p.m., at Heishman Funeral Home, 159 N Main St., Woodstock.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. at St. John Bosco Church, 315 N Main St., Woodstock. Interment will be at noon Dec. 5 at St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Norwich, Conn.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the St. John Bosco Building Fund and mailed to St. John Bosco Church.
