Patricia Louise (Leftwich) Van Ness, born on June 16, 1932 in Trenton, NJ, to the late Althea Leftwich and Richard Williams, passed away at the age of 85 on March 16, 2018, in Burbank, CA.
She graduated from Trenton State Teachers College in 1954. She married noted attorney, Stanley Van Ness in 1958. Her teaching career spanned 44 years. She taught several years in the Ewing public school system before transferring to Princeton’s Regional School system. In 1968, for about 3 years, she took a leave of absence to teach at Mercer County Child Guidance Center for autistic children. Patricia returned to Princeton and taught kindergarten at Johnson Park, Littlebrook and Community Park schools until her retirement in 1998 with the distinction of never having taken a sick day for over 35 years. Patricia made lifelong relationships with many teachers, parents and students. She received numerous teaching and community awards including the 2002 Princeton Area Community Foundation, Leslie Bud Vivian Award for Community Service. Recognized for her teaching skills and service to the community, she served as an initial Board member for the Princeton Charter School.
She did not seek the limelight nor enjoy it. She was content expanding minds and helping others reach their potential. She was once quoted as saying “I was always fortunate from high school on, I never had any doubt about my vocation. I wanted to be a teacher, to make a difference.
She was a relentless consumer of politics and an avid reader. Until the time of her passing, she enjoyed the creativity of painting over 100 pictures, making scarves and jewelry.
Patricia was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Austin Leftwich. She is survived by her beloved son, David Van Ness, of Los Angeles, CA, son-in-law, Peter Driscoll and extended family. She leaves behind many friends from having lived a full and generous life.
Memorial service will be at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 716 Bellevue Avenue, Trenton, on Saturday, May 5 from 11 AM to 12 Noon followed by a repass reception at the church. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Patricia Van Ness Educational Fund at Princeton Area Community Foundation, www.pacf.org
