Patricia Hoffman Graziano

Pati Ann Hoffman, 70, of Bartlett, IL , passed away on September 4, 2023 surrounded by her family.  She was born on July 23, 1953, in Rochester, NY.  Pati was preceded in death by her parents Dixie and William Hawthorne and her niece Heather Northrop.  Pati was a beloved partner to Russ Graziano and a loving mother to Matthew Wainwright. She adored her daughter-in-law, Heather Wainwright, and cherished her grandson, Dane Wainwright. Pati is also survived by her sister, Connie Northrop (Bob Savarino), her nephew, Scott Northrop (Haven), and their daughter, Marissa Northrop.

Pati loved interior design, drawing and art and found a way to utilize that in several of her jobs.  She worked in marketing at Nestle Foods for many years but found her passion designing menus, planning large scale industry events and coordinating with vendors when working for US Foods.  When Pati was diagnosed with early onset Alzeimers at the age of 56, although she was unable to continue working; she was an outspoken voice of support to the Alzeimers community.  She was a featured speaker many times for the Alzheimer’s Association and even actress Julianne Moore consulted with Pati in preparation for her role in the motion picture Still Alice in 2014.

Pati loved being Matt’s mom, but truly loved being Dane’s grandmother.  Although Dane may not be able to speak, the two of them connected through smiles, laughs and hugs.   Her love of animals her entire life and seeing the benefits of her grandson’s equine therapy with Strides in Motion at Happy Hooves Therapeutic farm was something that made her smile.

The memorial service will be held at Countryside Funeral Home, located at 95 S. Gilbert St., South Elgin, IL 60177. The visitation will take place from 11 am to 1 pm, with a few speakers scheduled to share their memories of Pati at 1 pm.