Helen "Pat" Ekiert

March 17, 1927 - November 27, 2020

Heaven got a little sweeter on November 27th, as the soul of Helen (Pat) Ekiert, 93, of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, left this earth for her heavenly home. She was a devout Christian, and deeply devoted to her faith and the Catholic Church. Born on March 17, 1927 in Rochester, NY, she earned the nickname “Pat” due to being born on St. Patrick’s Day, and was called that throughout her life by friends and family alike. She liked to say that if you wanted her to answer, you had better call her Pat, or she would think you were angry at her if you called her by her given name, Helen. Having spent all of her youth, young married life, and years raising her family in Western New York, she enjoyed travel, camping, fishing, card games, and spending time with family and friends. Eventually she settled into retirement with her husband at their cottage on Chaumont Bay of Lake Ontario. Too soon her husband passed away and she moved to sunny Brooksville, Florida, where she spent her next fifteen years having fun and relaxing away from the cold and snowy winters of New York State. Her final fifteen years were enjoyed here in South Carolina, the last five of which she lived at Carolina Gardens Assisted Living where she created many new friendships. She was a devoted and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and was affectionately known as “Grandma Pat” by her grandchildren. She took immense pride in the various accomplishments of her children and grandchildren and was happiest when she was with her family. She was one of the most selfless people one could ever have met. In fact, it was just like her to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to leave this world as she would not have wanted to upset anyone’s holiday. She will be deeply missed and remembered with affection by her children: Michael (Antoinette) Ekiert, Linda (the late Arthur) Stollery, Suzanne (Dennis) Permenter and Nancy (Marc) Weiner; her grandchildren: Deborah (Will) Brandt, Tia (Brian) Evenden, Steven (Patty Schiano) Martin, Joseph (Jill Bean) Martin, Arthur F. (Lucieann) Stollery, Jr., David (Linda) Stollery, Timothy (Stacie) Stollery, Erin (Josh) McDermott, Lindsay (John) Marks, Jared (Jamie) Hendrickson and Kaylee Hendrickson. She is also survived by 19 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren, many loving nieces, nephews, God-children, and friends. She is predeceased by her parents, John Juzwiak and Helen Peterson, by her husband, John J. Ekiert, by her siblings John (Jack) Juzwiak and Joan Lawrence, and by son-in-law, Arthur F. Stollery, Sr. The family is being assisted by Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel, in Murrells Inlet, SC. Please sign the online guestbook at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com Memorial donations may be made to Embrace Hospice House, Attention: Open Arms Foundation, 175 Village Center Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29579. The family would like to thank the staff of this wonderful facility for their kind and compassionate end-of-life care. A memorial service and interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery will be held in Rochester, NY, when conditions allow travel. The time and date of said service will be made known to family and friends at that time.