Ann-Patrice M. Hickey Obituary
Ann-Patrice Hickey passed away on Monday, August 7, 2023, from an unexpected cardiac arrest at the age of 70. Ann-Patrice was a loving and devoted wife to her soulmate C. Lynn Chambers for 33 years.
Ann-Patrice was born in Rochester NY, the fourth child of Francis and Edna Hickey. Francis was a truck mechanic and Edna was a seamstress, but their passions were working with the Rochester Democratic Party to fight for equality, fairness and community. She was predeceased by her brothers Mickey-Joe Hickey, Robert Hickey, and her sister Kathy Hickey Stofle.
At West High School, Rochester, NY, Ann-Patrice was in the Honor Society, and City Champion in diving and breast stroke. After High School, she attended Clarkson College of Technology, where she received a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Socio-environmental Engineering. She later received her Ph.D. in Psychology/Neuroscience at U. Mass Amherst.
Ann-Patrice's professional career was rich. Her varied interests in the development of artificial limbs, the ocular-motor reflex system, math education, universal design, disability rights and software development led her to a position as programmer at the Center for Applied. Special Technology, CAST, where she and her wife, Lynn, met in 1989. After leaving CAST, Ann.
Patrice started her own business, Eden Design, and wrote two nationally recognized software programs that enabled children with physical differences to participate in the Constructivist math curriculum: Unifix Software (published by Dydax in Rowley, MA) and IntelliMathics (published by IntelliTools in Petaluma, California). Ann-Patrice later worked as a Drupal website developer for the Information Services and Technology departments of MIT and Salem State.
After retiring, Ann-Patrice devoted herself to political activism, social and environmental justice, women's reproductive rights, and transparency in government at the local and state levels. She volunteered as Secretary for the Democratic Town Committee, served on the Rockport Finance Committee, was a Town Registrar, and ran for the Rockport Select Board before having to withdraw because of a near fatal cerebral aneurysm in 2007. In the initial days, her odds of surviving were unclear. During her 3 weeks in ICU, friends would sit with Lynn at the hospital. On one such day Lynn and a friend brought their knitting to fill in the long hours. Ann-Patrice, who usually had her eyes closed, observed that scene and said, "Oh, knitting Shiva.". It was then that we knew she would be all right.
That keen wit and intelligence were one of the hallmarks of Ann-Patrice. She was a life-long scholar, studying ecology, climate change, social practice, education, history, music, literature, art and food. She could walk into the middle of a conversation on any topic and immediately establish her expertise and point of view. Whoever came up with the cautious advice to stay in.
Your lane never met Ann-Patrice. For her, there were never any lanes, just a wide open field where her extraordinary mind wandered in every direction unfettered. She raged and mourned for our fragile democracy and balanced her outrage by writing music, making art, drumming, playing the piano, preparing and sharing gourmet meals, and trying to persuade Lynn to remove, ALL the grass on their little piece of Eden and replace it with a food forest through Hügelkultur.
Ann-Patrice adored Cape Ann, taking every opportunity to foster community and share her talents. She was the videographer, director, writer, editor, animator and musician for the 400 years of Thacher Island video. Ann-Patrice freely volunteered as videographer for the Rockport Garden Club, recording their events, and filming individual interviews for their History Committee. She also volunteered as web developer for the Sandy Bay Historical Society and the Cape Ann Climate Coalition Newsletter. As a member of the Thacher Island Association, she was on the work crew, operated the boat launch, and was an Assistant Lighthouse Keeper.
Ann-Patrice has left us, as we all must do. Please fill the hole she has left in our hearts with compassion, patience and optimism as you move through the remainder of your lives.
A celebration of her life will be held at her home at a later date. Donations of loving kindness for one another graciously accepted.
