Obituary of Patience Marie Culligan

Patience Marie "Pat" (nee Daven) age 97, of Lancaster, SC (formerly of Atlantic City) passed away on June 20, 2018 at Morningside Senior Living Center in Lancaster, SC. Pat was born in Atlantic City NJ on December 22, 1920. She was the daughter of Bernard G Daven and Anna McGuigan Daven. After graduation from Holy Spirit High School in 1939, Pat went to work for New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, starting as an operator and retiring as a supervisor after 30 years with the company. During World War II, Pat was selected to go with a group of telephone operators from the East Coast, who traveled by train to San Francisco, and worked the busy phone boards supporting the US troops in the Bay Area military bases who were getting ready to ship out and fight in the Pacific. When the war was over in 1945, Pat married John R Culligan. Pat and John had two children, John R Culligan Jr. in 1946 and Kathleen Anne Culligan in 1951. They raised their children in Atlantic City, in the Inlet, and Pat often said they lived in the shadow of the Absecon lighthouse there. She enjoyed collecting lighthouses as does her daughter, Kathleen. Pat loved caring for her family and took off 12 years from work while her children were small. Their house was always spotless, and the neighbor kids always knew the Pat was a wonderful cook and that her kitchen was open to them to join John Jr. & Kathleen for a meal. She had her favorite places at the beach to take her kids at Pacific Avenue until they learned to swim, and then later they loved to go to the beach at the TJetty. Pat was on a bowling league with Bell Telephone, and worked as a volunteer at the Church Rectory for many years. She enjoyed being a self-appointed neighborhood activist for her Back Bay neighborhood on St David's Place. She loved to walk the boardwalk, doing so daily, until she moved in her late 80's to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2007 to be near her son John and his family, residing in a senior living center. She was very active there, her favorite being the pool aerobics, keeping up with her daily walking and activities with other Catholic neighbors. Pat was a member of St Gabriel's Catholic Church in Charlotte. Pat had 6 siblings, five who have predeceased her – Thomas Daven, Bernard Daven, Agnes Rita Steadman, Mercedes Ann Sochocky, and Cecelia Schoppaul . Her younger sister Therese Hannan lives in Falls Church, VA. Pat's husband John R Culligan Sr. died in 1980. Pat is also survived by her son John & his wife Jorie who live in South Carolina and her daughter Kathleen Rinker & her husband Robert William (Bill) Rinker who live in Agoura Hills, California. Pat cherished her two grandsons Billy and Chris Rinker and had a special cross country relationship playing Words with Friends on her iPad with Kathleen and her sons, both who are married and live in Marina Del Rey, CA. She was very proud that they both graduated college at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Chris and his wife Maureen gave Pat her first great-grandchild, Jethro, followed by his brother Jensen. Billy and his wife Cindi have a son, Robert William Rinker lll to make a total of 3 great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated for Patience Marie "Pat" Culligan 11:00am Friday, June 29, 2018 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church 2651 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City. The Rite of Committal will be offered at graveside in Holy Cross Cemetery, Route 40, in Mays Landing, NJ. The family suggests in lieu of flowers, to send a donation to one of Pat's favorite organizations, the Catholic Charities, Atlantic City. The website for online donations is: http://catholiccharitiescamden.org/give/ Checks may be made payable to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden and sent to: 1845 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ 08103 The family wishes to thank the staff at Morningside for their special care of Pat, as well as her Hospice nurse Erica who was a kind and knowledgeable guide for them as they went along the end of life journey with Pat. Gormley Funeral Home LLC is serving the family in Atlantic City.