Obituary for Patrick K. Sommer
PATRICK KELLY SOMMER, a Philadelphia School district special education teacher, passed away on February 2, 2020. He was 46 years old. His family and friends do not think the date of his death is a coincidence; Patrick would have wanted his passing, on a palindrome, to inspire a final math lesson.
Patrick was born on March 16, 1973 in Philadelphia and remained in the area for his entire life. Those who knew Patrick as a child were not at all surprised that he pursued a career in education; he always had a desire to help others. Patrick graduated Central High School in 1991 (Class 250) and went on to pursue a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University. After graduating he embarked on what would be a 24 year career teaching for the School District of Philadelphia. Throughout the course of his career he obtained two Masters degrees from Temple in Special Education and Education Psychology and many, many certifications.
Patrick held numerous positions during his 24 years of teaching for the School District of Philadelphia. He spent his first 14 years of teaching at Norris S. Barratt Middle School. He spent the last 10 years at Albert M. Greenfield School as an Autistic and Learning Support Teacher.
Patrick had a passion for teaching and inclusiveness. He inspired greatness in his students and their parents. Every year he would dress up as Cat in the Hat and read to the kindergarten students on Dr. Seuss' birthday. He was also a believer in increasing the awareness for well-funded schools to meet the needs of all children living in the City.
When Patrick was not teaching, he loved to travel. These trips were very well documented through rolls and rolls of film. No one was happier than Patrick when camera phones became the norm. He was also an avid football fan, participating in up to four fantasy football leagues at a time for over 20 years.He always prided himself on picking just the right team and recognizing up and coming talent before the rest of the crowd. He passed away during halftime of this years Super Bowl. His family and friends want to think that this had very little to do with the performance and more to do with his concern that the Chiefs wouldn't have been able to pull it off without his help.
Patrick is survived by his wife Hansie Mathelier, his father John Kelly, his cat Sally and numerous friends and students whose lives he impacted.
To honor his memory and his passion for teaching, a memorial scholarship fund through GoFundMe has been set up in Patrick’s name to assist students in achieving their academic goals.
A memorial service will be held at The PENNSYLVANIA BURIAL CO., INC. 1327-29 S. Broad Street, Phildelphia, PA 19147 on March 7, 2020 from 2:30 pm to 4:00pm
Patrick was born on March 16, 1973 in Philadelphia and remained in the area for his entire life. Those who knew Patrick as a child were not at all surprised that he pursued a career in education; he always had a desire to help others. Patrick graduated Central High School in 1991 (Class 250) and went on to pursue a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University. After graduating he embarked on what would be a 24 year career teaching for the School District of Philadelphia. Throughout the course of his career he obtained two Masters degrees from Temple in Special Education and Education Psychology and many, many certifications.
Patrick held numerous positions during his 24 years of teaching for the School District of Philadelphia. He spent his first 14 years of teaching at Norris S. Barratt Middle School. He spent the last 10 years at Albert M. Greenfield School as an Autistic and Learning Support Teacher.
Patrick had a passion for teaching and inclusiveness. He inspired greatness in his students and their parents. Every year he would dress up as Cat in the Hat and read to the kindergarten students on Dr. Seuss' birthday. He was also a believer in increasing the awareness for well-funded schools to meet the needs of all children living in the City.
When Patrick was not teaching, he loved to travel. These trips were very well documented through rolls and rolls of film. No one was happier than Patrick when camera phones became the norm. He was also an avid football fan, participating in up to four fantasy football leagues at a time for over 20 years.He always prided himself on picking just the right team and recognizing up and coming talent before the rest of the crowd. He passed away during halftime of this years Super Bowl. His family and friends want to think that this had very little to do with the performance and more to do with his concern that the Chiefs wouldn't have been able to pull it off without his help.
Patrick is survived by his wife Hansie Mathelier, his father John Kelly, his cat Sally and numerous friends and students whose lives he impacted.
To honor his memory and his passion for teaching, a memorial scholarship fund through GoFundMe has been set up in Patrick’s name to assist students in achieving their academic goals.
A memorial service will be held at The PENNSYLVANIA BURIAL CO., INC. 1327-29 S. Broad Street, Phildelphia, PA 19147 on March 7, 2020 from 2:30 pm to 4:00pm