Murrysville woman lived life to help others
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Patricia Loughran was the kind of person who lived her life for others.
She raised seven daughters. She was director of financial aid at St. Francis University in Loretto for 18 years. She was a grief counselor at several Catholic parishes. She was an advocate for people with disabilities. In her last year, living at Redstone Highlands, she helped start two programs for residents.
“People flocked to her. They could feel her warmth and support — people of any ability. It didn’t matter, she just embraced everyone,” said her daughter Kate Cala.
Mrs. Loughran became an artist in retirement and used the arts to help others.
“All of her daughters’ houses are full of her paintings,” said her daughter Bernadette Cala.
Patricia Ann Loughran died Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, at Redstone Highlands, Murrysville. She was 86.
Born in Swissvale on May 27, 1933, she was a daughter of Ralph and Barbara (Gorham) Robinson. She graduated from Swissvale High School in 1951 and from then-Seton Hill College in 1955.
She married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Loughran, in 1956, and they raised a family of seven daughters while living mostly in Johnstown.
She taught at Cambria-Rowe Business College and as a substitute teacher. Following her years at St. Francis University, she worked as a pastoral associate in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.
“She did a lot with grief counseling in whatever parish she belonged to at the time,” Bernadette Cala said. “If the church would start a grief counseling group, my mother would facilitate it.”
Mrs. Loughran got involved in advocacy work for the disabled in 1997 through East Suburban Citizen Advocacy in Murrysville, where her daughter Kate Cala is executive director.
The nonprofit organization posted a tribute to Mrs. Loughran on its website on Thursday.
“She delighted in our work and brought her generous heart and support to our mission of advocacy and inclusion,” the tribute said.
Kate Cala said her mother was a support to her as she made the transition from volunteer to paid staff member. “She walked with me in every aspect of it,” she said.
Mrs. Loughran was instrumental in starting the organization’s “Art From the Heart” program in 2011.
“She enthusiastically went to work teaching art classes and sharing her passion for the creative process. Patricia’s innate celebration of all people and her fun disposition made her class sizes grow. After one year, we had so many participants that we needed a bigger classroom space!” the tribute said.
At Redstone Highlands, Mrs. Loughran helped start a jewelry- making class and “Flowers to Friends,” a program that distributes “repurposed” flower arrangements to residents, her daughter said.
Mrs. Loughran was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, in 2017; and five siblings.
She is survived by seven daughters, Kathryn Cala, Ann Cutrell, Barnadette Cala, Mary Jo Loughran, Sharon Brown, Sheila Burgard and Jenifer Selzer; 20 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at St. Vincent Basilica Parish, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Unity. Friends will be received at the Fred Rogers Center afterward. Private interment will follow at St. Vincent Mausoleum.
Memorial contributions may be made to East Suburban Citizen Advocacy via www.justgiving.com, or by sending a check to East Suburban Citizen Advocacy, 4559 Old William Penn Highway, Suite 200, Murrysville, PA 15668.