Patrick Joseph Panzarella

Dr. Pat Panzarella, age 84, of San Antonio, TX, passed away on October 19, 2025, following open-heart surgery.

Born September 30, 1941, in Providence, RI, to Liborio and Blanche Panzarella, Pat was the third of eleven adventurous children. Industrious from a young age, he held many jobs throughout elementary school and high school at LaSalle Academy. While working as a stock boy, he met his beloved wife of 63 years, Jan (Bailey). Watching her carefully peck out letters on a typewriter, he thought she was the perfect girl, that is the perfect girl to set up with his friend. Fate (and Jan ) had other plans. They married in 1962 while Pat was a student at St. Mary’s College in California and welcomed their first child, Catherine, in 1964. Pat graduated from St. Mary’s that same year and returned to Rhode Island to complete a master’s degree at URI in 1965. Their daughter Kim was born later that year, and their son Patrick followed in 1967.

In 1965, Pat accepted a position at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY—a location he initially thought he could tolerate “for a year or two.” That temporary relocation became an extraordinary 53-year academic and coaching career. Pat earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from SUNY Buffalo in 1977. His special interest was Medieval literature.

Pat founded the Division 1 St. Bonaventure men’s and women’s tennis teams and coached both for decades. He also established and ran summer tennis camps for young players. In later years, he carried on that tradition through “Camp Gramps,” where his grandchildren spent summers learning both life lessons and tennis. Pat was inducted into the St. Bonaventure University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2015, Joe and Cecily Higgins of Allegany endowed the Pat Panzarella Professorship in the English Department.

Pat was an exceptional husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, coach, mentor, and friend. He shared his enduring love of learning with his children, students, and all who showed curiosity. Patient and thoughtful, he guided those around him—whether on the court or in the classroom—through their own journeys of growth. He cared little for accolades, believing instead that true success came from facing challenges with courage and striving always to improve oneself. He was endlessly generous with his time and compassion, always willing to listen without judgment and to help in any way he could.

On campus and in Allegany, one was as likely to see him in tennis shorts as in professorial attire. He never missed an opportunity to encourage, support, or share a meal with a student or friend—often to Jan’s surprise when he arrived home with an unplanned dinner guest.

Pat was both a Medieval scholar and a true Renaissance man. He had many passionate interests, including tennis, skiing, cooking, travel, and languages, and shared his enthusiasm without ego. Later in life, he learned Italian and created and ran a popular study-abroad program for Bonas students at the Umbria Institute in Italy, which he and Jan hosted. He traveled to Italy many times, including to attend culinary school.

After retiring, Pat and Jan settled in San Antonio near their children. In recent years, he continued his study of languages, taking up Spanish with the same humble determination that marked everything he undertook. Pat and Jan faithfully attended mass at their local parish, St. Anthony Mary Claret.

Pat will be sorely missed and will remain an enduring source of inspiration to his family and to the many students and colleagues whose lives he shaped. He is survived by his devoted wife, Jan; his three children and their spouses, Catherine Panzarella-Tse (Derek), Kim Panzarella (Peter), and Patrick Panzarella (Misti); grandchildren Talene, Kendra, Anna, Joe, Presley, and Zaleigh; five sisters, JoAnn, Angie, Meg, Becky, and Cheryl; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Liborio and Blanche Panzarella; his brothers James, Andrew, Michael, and Joseph; and his sister Mariann.

A memorial Mass and celebration of life will be held on November 15 at 10 a.m. at Mission Concepción in San Antonio, TX with a reception to follow. Friends and family are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or USTA Texas National Junior Tennis and Learning. Sent from my iPhone

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