Pat  DeAngelis

With the passage of time, the members of South Jersey Woodcarvers lost a friend, member, and mentor. Pat DeAngelis died after a valiant fight against the disease of cancer. He was a past president of the club as well as one of our most beloved teachers. He taught at the Washington Adult Night School and in the summer he would travel to Vermont to teach there. 
As a student of his, I had the privilege of receiving carving tips from Pat while listening to his great sense humor. His famous saying in class was, “I’ll carve one side you do the other.” Of course Pat would do the easier of the two and we would try to match his carving. He was a tough act to follow. But the one I liked best was, “It’s only a piece of wood if it doesn’t work it can always be firewood.”
His carvings were art sculpture in wood. At the celebration of his life, his relief carving of the sea captain’s life took my breath away. It was a beautiful work of art. Pat was a soft-spoken man with a fantastic sense of humor and there was always laughter when he was around.
His auctioneering for the club was a high light of any meeting. He was one of the most giving men that I had the pleasure of meeting. His generosity was well known and extended to his family, friends and students.
Family was everything to Pat and this was evident to all that knew him.  Pat had a wealth of carving knowledge and would always share it, which was evident, when a student asked him for help. He encouraged each person to extend his or her knowledge of carving and have fun doing this. I know that I will always remember him for he gave me the legacy of laughter and a joy of woodcarving. Pat had the last laugh when they handed out the lottery tickets at the cemetery.
Pat will be missed but never forgotten by all of us. We offer our thoughts and prayers to Marilyn and Family.

Pat DeAngelis
Oct.20, 1933   June 12,2008