Dear CCA Community,
It is with great sadness I write to share the news of the passing of former California College of the Arts Trustee Patty Fitzpatrick. Patty was a remarkable person and an excellent trustee – smart, caring, knowledgeable, and loyal. I was lucky to work with her on our board for seven years, and I will miss her warmth, ready smile, and passion for helping students.
Patty joined the CCA board in February 2011. During her tenure, she had a tremendous impact as a leader. She energetically co-chaired two successful CCA galas in 2016 and 2017, inspiring donors to give over $2.3M to student scholarships. She chaired the Academic Committee and committed her time to serve on numerous other committees including the Campaign Taskforce, Wattis Institute Advisory Committee, Committee on Trustees and the Community Engagement Committee. Each committee was improved by her intelligence, insight and enthusiasm.
She also led the way as a philanthropist, giving to numerous CCA programs including vital support for our Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art. She also created a generous endowed scholarship fund for international students. True to form, she did not wish to name it for herself, and modestly proposed it as a CCA President’s award so students would feel encouraged by the recognition.
Patty changed CCA for the better as a champion of our mission and values. She was also a trustee of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Patty was all-in on the arts and education and will be sorely missed and long remembered by the entire CCA community.
A memorial service will be held at 4pm on Friday the 26th of April 2019, at The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew (1 South El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94401). In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made online at a tribute page set up in Patty's honor in support of the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer: tinyurl.com/pattyfitzpatrick.
Sincerely,
Stephen Beal
