Patrice M. Haggerty

Patrice Marie Haggerty, 61, died on July 3rd, 2016, at the Concord Regional VNA Hospice House. She was a beloved wife, daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin, friend and grandmother. Her courage and class in her battle with Creutzfeld­-Jakob Disease (CJD), much like the way she lived her life, is an inspiration to all who love her or were lucky enough to have met her.

She was born Patrice Marie Thibodeau on August 24, 1954, in Bridgeport, CT, to Henry & Joan Thibodeau. She grew up in Lewiston, ME, and Cranston, RI, and attended the University of Bridgeport where she studied dental hygiene.

On September 17, 1977, she married William M. (Bill) Haggerty and began what would be a happy nearly 39­-year marriage. With her husband, she had two sons: Timothy M. Haggerty and Daniel P. Haggerty and ultimately settled in Penacook, NH, where she lived for more than 34 years and built a strong network of friends who valued her practical advice, her vibrance, and her infectious smile.

A diligent and devoted worker, she found her niche as a dental hygienist and spent many of her working years at Tri­Town Family Dentistry in Suncook and, most recently, at Amoskeag Family Dentistry in Manchester. At all of her stops, she formed strong bonds with the people with whom she worked and the patients she saw on a regular basis. She took great pleasure in the relationships she formed with her patients where both she and they were able to provide each other with good smiles. She continued to work until the symptoms of her disease rendered it unsafe and impossible for her to do so in August of 2015.

It was first in the fall of 2014 when Patrice began experiencing seemingly benign issues with her motor coordination, leg pain and her memory that could easily have been attributed to simply reaching middle-­age. However she was increasingly concerned that there was more at play. True to her nature, she advocated for herself that a more extensive investigation be made as her symptoms continued to become more pronounced. She was ultimately given a probable diagnosis in the late summer of 2015 of Creutzfeld­-Jakob Disease, a very rare, very aggressive, fatal prion disease that rapidly robs the afflicted of both their physical and neurological functions. As with everything else in her life, she faced her disease and prognosis with courage and grace­ deciding to make the most of what time she had left as opposed to filling that time with self-­pity and regret. Aware that she had a second grandchild on the way, the only thing that she allowed herself to feel bad about in her final months was the reality that she would never see her granddaughter grow up nor ever know her unborn grandson.

Along with her love, humor and zest for life, she is survived by her mother, Joan M. Thibodeau of Lewiston, ME; her brother, Paul M. Thibodeau of Westbrook, ME; her husband Bill Haggerty of Penacook, NH; her son, Timothy M. Haggerty of Leominster, MA; her son, Daniel P Haggerty, and his wife, Kristen, of Pembroke, NH; her cherished granddaughter, Emma Belle Marie Haggerty, of Pembroke, NH; her brother-­in-­law, Richard P. (Bud) Lydon, and his wife, Lynne, of Norton, MA; her niece, Kathleen M. Thibodeau, of Scarborough, ME; nieces Kim Evans, Keri McNamara and Kristin Lydon; and many extended family and friends. Patrice was predeceased by her father, Henry C. Thibodeau of Lewiston, ME (1925-­2015); her mother-­in-­law, Madeline V. Haggerty, of Concord, NH (1919-­2006); her brother-­in­-law, Robert T. Lydon of Hyde Park, MA (1939-­2012); and many other extended family and friends, including her beloved uncle, Lorn E. Thibodeau of Lewiston, ME (1920­-2003).

A memorial service for Patrice will be held at the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester, NH, on July 16th, 2016, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center through Case Western Reserve University (http://case.edu/med/pathology/centers/npdpsc/donation.html) to further research into treatments and a cure for CJD and other such neurological diseases.