Patricia Ann Runco, 85, of Solomons, MD (formerly of Leonardtown, MD) passed away on Monday, September 13, 2021 at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, MD.
She was born on September 18, 1935 in Tarentum, PA to the late John Francis Wygonik and Mary Stephenski Wygonik.
Her life of travel and adventure began early on when her future husband, Raymond Runco, spotted her at a community pool and jumped the fence to convince her to go on a date with him. They were married on January 21, 1956 and soon thereafter, Ray left Patty in Tarentum for his first tour of duty as a member of the U.S. Navy. He arrived back home just in time for the birth of their oldest daughter, Mary Lynn.
Patty and Ray’s first duty station together was in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Patty worked for Pan American Airlines and received her small plane pilot’s license, a tremendous accomplishment at the time for a young married woman and mother. After Hawaii, Patty and Ray were stationed in New York, where their youngest daughter, Amy, was born. They were later transferred to Ankara, Turkey, where Patty taught English as a language at the University of Ankara.
After Ray retired from the U.S. Navy while stationed at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, he and Patty opened Ray Runco Realty in Lexington Park, Maryland. Based on this experience, she wrote and published a book for female realtors.
Patty’s life had many facets and accomplishments, but she was perhaps best well known for her creativity and love of art. As a child and during her teenage years she shared her artistic talents while working at her father’s floral shop and later challenged herself with different mediums, including stained glass, pottery, watercolor, oil pastels, and graphite. Most of all, she loved to share her gifts and passion for artistic expression with others. She owned Famous French Galleries and was part of a group that founded the St. Mary’s College Arts Alliance. After she retired, she began teaching art classes to children and adults, and eventually to her friends and neighbors at Asbury in Solomons.
Patty was a devout Catholic and proud mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Lynn Stone (Joe) of California, MD and Amy Runco of California, MD; her sister, Mary Ann Masarik (Lawrence) of Tarentum, PA; her granddaughters, Devin Stone Fox (Kevin) and Rachel Cullison; and her great grandsons, Jack and William Fox. In addition to her parents and husband, she is also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Jenna Stone. She also leaves behind many friends who, along with her family, will be forever grateful to have known and loved her.
A funeral mass for friends and family will be held on Friday, September 24th at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Solomons, Maryland.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Jenna Stone Scholarship Fund, C/O St. Mary’s Ryken, 22600 Camp Calvert Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
