Patricia Dufresne

In Memoriam
Patricia Genevieve Dufresne
April 10, 1933 – September 4, 2026
Patricia Genevieve Dufresne was born in Canton, Ohio, on April 10, 1933, to Grace and Charles Welsh, the third of five children. She passed away on September 4, 2026, at Ecumen St. Benedict’s in Monticello, Minnesota, at the age of 93.

Pat moved to Minnesota in 1956 to become a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. There she met Gerard R. Dufresne who had invited some “Catholic” girls to go waterskiing at Maple Lake with some of his Catholic friends. That day became a new chapter in their life. They married in 1958 and together raised five children: Jean, Jeffrey, Camille, Charlie and Pierre

With her family, Pat lived first in Minneapolis and then Peoria, Illinois, before heading to Germany in 1964 and then on to Spain in 1969. Pat especially treasured her years in Spain, where the family enjoyed an unrushed, idyllic rhythm of life, immersed in the local culture. Those years also brought great sorrow. In July 1971, her 12-year-old son, Jeffrey, twin brother of Jean, was killed by a drunk driver while riding his bicycle with friends in Castelldefels, Spain.

Upon returning to the States in 1973, the family first lived in her parents’ farmhouse in Massillon, Ohio, before settling in Fridley, Minnesota, in 1976. Pat returned to the travel industry and later became manager of Dayton’s Travel Agency in Brooklyn Center, retiring in 1992.

Pat was a devoted mother, sister, grandmother and friend. She loved being with her grandchildren and was always ready to lend a hand. She enjoyed spending time with family at Maple Lake. She loved playing charades and euchre, doing crosswords, and sipping a scotch with friends, while laughing at a good Irish joke.

After retiring, Pat continued to live out her faith through service to others. Early on, she spent a year living in Catholic Charities community housing as part of a volunteer corps and served at a downtown Minneapolis homeless shelter, where she continued volunteering for years afterward. After her time at the shelter, she became deeply involved in St. William’s Peace and Justice group. There she helped coordinate St. William’s involvement in Families Moving Forward, an interfaith program providing temporary shelter and support to families working toward permanent housing.

Also, with her St. William’s Peace and Justice group, she advocated, despite opposition, for affordable housing on a church-owned lot across from her home. In her yard stood a handwritten sign: “Love your neighbor.” When the housing was finally built and families started moving in, Mom did something very Pat-like: she crossed the street, knocked on their doors and welcomed them to the neighborhood.

Beginning in late 2001, Pat joined other concerned Catholics nearly every Tuesday—rain, snow or shine—for almost 12 years, carrying signs and waving to motorists in a call for peace. When asked why, she simply said someone had to bear witness—to keep the hope for peace visible and alive.

At the age of 86, finally tiring of shoveling snow and picking up sticks in her yard, Mom moved to St. Theresa’s Independent Living in New Hope. In April 2026, as her dementia progressed, she moved to Ecumen St. Benedict’s Senior Memory Care Center, where she passed away on September 4, 2026.

Pat is survived by her children Jean, Camille, Charlie and Pierre; many grandchildren & great-grandchildren; many relatives and friends whose lives she touched.

Honoring her belief in living simply, her cremated remains rest in a plain white box beside a single rose, as she would have wanted it.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
• Cristo Rey: https://www.cristoreynetwork.org/giving/ways-to-give
• Friends of San Lucas: https://sanlucasmission.org/give/
• Catholic Charities Twin Cities-Affordable Housing: https://cctwincities.org/donate/