Patricia "Pat" Cusic, maiden name Pat Feit, was a loving sister, aunt, mother, grandma, and Gigi Pat went home to heaven on May 22, 2023, joining her sister Celia Miller and brothers Rob Feit and Tom Feit, as well as her son-in-law Bill Cody. Pat had a blessed life that began in Miami, Florida, where she spent her younger years with her parents, William and Louise, her sister Celia, and her little dog Dopey.  After her parents divorced, Pat frequently traveled between Baltimore and Miami. Her father William eventually married again and added siblings to her family: Tom, Rob, and Barbara.

Pat was a feisty and strong-willed young lady, often proving to be quite the handful for her mother Louise and stepmother Dorothy. She left school after the 11th grade and moved to Baltimore with her mother, and began working at the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. There she began a workplace romance with James "Jim" Cusic. Pat and Jim were married in 1958  during a blizzard.

The Cusic family grew quickly: Colleen, Jim, Eamon, and Maureen. Pat was a stay-at-home mom, taking care of her children and occasionally working during the holidays for extra Christmas cash. She finally learned how to drive a car in her 30's with her husband Jim as her teacher, the car starting and stopping and squealing down the street. After 13 years of marriage, Pat and Jim separated in 1970 and divorced in 1973.

As a single mother of four in the 1970's, it was difficult to make ends meet, especially with unpaid back child support. Pat took any office job she could get and applied for food stamps to keep food on the table. Her sister Celia lived in Miami and encouraged her to move back to their childhood home. It took 30 boxes sent by mail, 5 suitcases, and 4 kids wrangled onto a train to start their new lives in Miami.

Once they arrived in Miami, the family faced new challenges: with no car, jobs had to be within walking distance. Laundry was piled on bikes and cycled to the laundromat. Pat got up every morning, walked to work, and never complained. Once when money was especially tight, she prayed for help. Soon after, her prayers were answered when she found money in the grass on her daily walk to work. This confirmed her belief that God was indeed watching over her. Eventually Pat purchased a car and a moved to a more profitable position.

Pat kept herself heavily involved in her local church community. She always sought ways to help, whether it was volunteering for church functions or assisting a family in need of support. She was always the first in line to offer aid and showed up with a smile and a hug. Through her actions and generosity, Pat instilled the importance of volunteering and giving in her children.

In her 40's, Pat went to night school to finally get her high school diploma. Her youngest daughter Maureen, in elementary school, helped her with her homework, and all four of her children attended her high school graduation in 1979. In 1980, she began working for Miami-Dade Water and Sewer, retiring after 20 years of service.

Pat moved to Live Oak in 2000, buying her first home after renting her entire life. She worked occasionally to keep busy and visited her children and grandchildren as much as possible. Sometimes she stayed longer than planned because she was having such a fabulous time! Pat loved animals, and her last dog was a small, fluffy Havanese she named Dante that kept her company in her home in Live Oak. In the early 2000's, Pat began developing symptoms that would later be diagnosed as Alzheimer's Disease.

Pat spent over 20 years in her first and last home before moving to the Good Samaritan Memory Care Unit in Advent Christian Village. The staff took excellent care of her and became a beloved second family. They hated to see "sister" and Pat-Pat leave. When she went home to heaven on May 22, she was met with a "well done" for a life lived for Jesus.

She is survived by her sisters Barbara (Rich) Campbell, Robyn Feit, children Colleen Cody, Jim (Terri) Cusic, Eamon Cusic, Maureen (Kevin) Bentley, 12 grandchildren and 22.5 great-grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held on September 30th. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer's Association.

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