Patricia Ann Heenan, known to most as "Pat," was a remarkable woman. Born and raised in New York City, she later moved to Philadelphia, where she resided for many years before moving to FL in 2014, where she lived until her passing.
Pat was extremely intelligent. She worked as a nurse for the first half of her life, then she did something remarkable that many people talk about, but few ever take the challenge of doing: she changed her profession. After completing law school at Temple University, she became an attorney. She redefined herself in her mid-50s.
She excelled at both of her professions. It is no accident that she was in careers where she was able to help people. As an attorney, for example, one of her roles was to take court cases for those who had been denied care by their insurance company. She often won those cases. As a nurse, she worked in many capacities, including years as a psychiatric nurse helping troubled teens.
One thing people will remember about Pat is her vibrant personality. She was colorful and dynamic, full of life and energy. She lived life with zest and with passion. She loved music and was often singing. She also loved to laugh and was often the life of the party. There was frequently a dog by her side--she loved animals deeply. She loved horses, as well, and as a young woman, she was an accomplished equestrian.
She will be missed very much by family, friends, and all those she touched during her amazing life.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, Thomas Heenan and Joan Canal Schoeffel. Surviving relatives include two nieces, Alicia Canal and Christy Cerrato, and two nephews, Al Canal and John Canal.
Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Friday, April 19, 2024 at Nativity Catholic Church, 3255 North Ronald Reagan Blvd., Longwood, FL 32750. The funeral will be livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/NativityLongwood . Or, you may access it via the church's website, https://www.nativity.org .
An interment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her name be made to the Pet Alliance of Orlando, 333 S. Garland Ave., 13th Floor, Orlando, FL 32801, or https://y3w.f5c.myftpupload.com/ways-give/memorials/ .