PAT GODEC

 

 

Pat Godec had the best grades in our high school and graduated Valedictorian.  But Pat was not a typical quiet bookworm.  Her extracurricular activities were as numerous as the number of “A’s” on her report card.  And her social calendar was very busy as well.

 

Pat attributes her academic success to having good study habits. 

 

Although Pat was in College Prep she knew that she would not get a chance to go to college.  Her parents did not believe in sending girls to college. “You know, the old “you’ll just get married, have a family and the educations is wasted, line,” she explains.  So Pat planned early on to become a nurse.

 

She enrolled at Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing in Cleveland and guess what her academic standing was.  Yes, she was number one graduating Valedictorian once again.

 

Her plan at the time was to stay in Cleveland after graduation, work at the hospital and get an eventual degree in nursing.  A few months before graduation, Pat returned home for her June vacation and met up with fellow “Geese” Jannie Collins and Louise Gunyula.  The threesome went to Mickey’s Bar and there she met  Tom Cicatiello.  By the end of the vacation, staying in Cleveland no longer interested Pat.  She and Tom were serious so Pat returned to Girard after graduation to accept a job at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown.  This was the turning point of her life.  The couple got engaged at Christmas and married the following June 27, 1964.

 

Two years later the newly weds had a their first child, Judi.  Pat then quit work in order to be a stay at home mom.  She would not work for the next 16 years. 

 

In 1968 the Cicatiellos moved to Houston Texas where there second child Michel was born in 1969.  Then they moved again to St. Louis Missouri in 1971.  Their third child Dave was born there a year later.  David was 13 days old when the couple moved back to Austintown,  Ohio.

 

During these years Tom’s job kept him on the road a great deal of the time.  Pat raised the kids largely on her own.  She really enjoyed family life and got very involved with the kid’s sports.  “All three swam competitively and played tennis and baseball,” she says. “Judi played basketball, and the boys did wrestling.”   Pat began to help with the activities by keeping records for the Y-Nauts swim team and helping the coach with entries.  This grew into Pat becoming one of the organizers of the YWCA Ohio State Championship Meet and the Youngstown Swim Club Championship Meet.  “I had a tremendous sense of accomplishment as well as a lot of fun in those days,” she says.

 

It was not long before 1982 rolled along and Pat decided to take a refresher course in nursing and go back to work.  She spent 3 years at Trumbull Memorial Hospital before joining the Doctors Pain Clinic where for 10 years she managed the office except for typing and billing. 

 

During this time Pat began to have back problems and in 1996 she had the first of what would become 3 lumbar back fusions.  It was time to retire.

 

This began Pat’s period of volunteer work.  She had always had a passion for animals so she volunteered with “Angels For Animals.  “I worked with cats and was there for nearly 10 years,” she says.  Working with the Veterinarians, Pat put her nursing skills to work by setting up a system for testing cats for Feline Aids and Leukemia. 

 

Pat put a lot of effort into the raising of her family and is extremely proud of the results. 

 

Daughter Judi became a Lawyer and today is Director of Unemployment Assistance in Boston, Mass. 

 

Son Mike is a director for Tyson Foods in Arkansas.  He and his wife Deanna (a CPA and fitness instructor) have two children, Thomas and Sophia.

 

Son David is a Police Officer with NYPD.  He was part of the “Bucket Brigade”  on 9-11.

 

“We moved to Florida in Oct 2005,” Pat says.  “I love it here.  I do wish I would have gotten my degree though.  I think I would have enjoyed teaching nursing.”

 

“Several years ago I joined with the Amen Corner gang of GHS grads whenever I could,”  she adds.  “That  was great. Since working on the reunion, I've been in touch with several classmates, including Pat Planton, Judy Frankford, Karen Battin, Marsha, Ron Robinson, Dick Dillon, Jim Ward, Louie Antonucci  and Louise Gunyula. I've also talked to several others and can't wait for the reunion. I'm kicking myself for not keeping in contact with old friends but I'm certainly enjoying it now.”

 

Pat is very complementary about the teachers at GHS where she singles out Mr. Cramer and Mr. Murphy in particular.  Her only critique is that there was very little career guidance for girls. 

 

Pat and Tom look forward to the August Reunion.  

 

Editors note:  At one point in our talks Pat said she had not done a lot compared to some of the other graduates.  Well to me Pat, it looks like you are still getting straight  “A’s”.  They can always find someone qualified to fly the plane, sell the product, build the houses, but finding someone who can raise a family, successfully, well, that person is hard to replace. Maybe the importance of family is what your parent’s were trying to tell you all along.  It looks like you Aced that lesson as well. --Ed DeChant