"Pat served our great University for the past 34 years with respect, integrity and unbelievable compassion," said Dave Laketa, USF Director of Athletics who has worked with Pat since his freshman year at St. Francis in 1986. "She truly loved her job but more importantly she loved being a part of the thousands of lives that she touched at St. Francis. She cared so much for each and every one of the student-athletes, not to mention their many family members that she came in contact with throughout her nearly four decades with us."

A staff member in the school's business office when she started at then-College of St. Francis in the spring of 1976, Pat joined the athletics department staff in September of that year at the same time that Saints' legend Gordie Gillespie came to St. Francis to serve as athletics director and baseball coach. Gillespie then hired the recently retired Pat Sullivan to coach men's basketball and that trio of Getson, Gillespie and Sullivan worked together - with the exception of Gillespie's 10 seasons at Ripon College in Wisconsin (1996-2005) - for the next 34 years. The school's department grew from just two sports and less than 50 student-athletes to its current size of 17 sports and over 370 student-athletes.

"I'll never have a better friend," said Gillespie. "We worked together for so long and then stayed in touch constantly during my years up at Ripon. In the 34 years we knew one another, we never had a cross word. I can't imagine coming to work every day and not seeing her."

Sullivan likened Pat to that of a mother-away-from-home for the many St. Francis athletes.

"She was a surrogate mother and, in recent years, a grandmother-away-from-home to hundreds of students who came to our school," said Sullivan who was not only men's basketball coach but also served as director of athletics (1986-2000) during much of Pat's time in the department. "When I talked to athletics alumni over the years, very seldom did any of my conversations end without them asking me, ‘Is Mrs. Getson still working there? Please tell her I said hello.' 

"That is the type of profound impact that she had on so many of our student-athletes over the years," continued Sullivan. "I know she had that type of impact on my five children. They grew up knowing her very well and loved her dearly."

Pat was not only a fixture at St. Francis but a proud native, resident and "walking historian" of Joliet. She graduated from St. Francis Academy, which was then housed right here on the USF campus. Pat knew Joliet as well as she knew her own family. New coaches and staff members that joined the Saints were always asking Pat for recommendations on doctors, dentists, auto mechanics, and all the other essential information that newcomers to an area might need. 

While the St. Francis family was near and dear to Pat, no one was closer to her than her own children and grandchildren. Pat had four daughters and nine grandchildren. Her daughters include Kim Hayes of Alpharetta, Ga., Vicki Rooney of Plainfield (and an employee of USF's university relations staff), Lori Tkaczyk of Hawthorn Woods and Geri Barranco of Downers Grove.

Visitation will be Tuesday, June 1 from 2-8 p.m., at Tezak's Funeral Home (1211 Plainfield Road, Joliet). A funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church (416 N. Chicago St., Joliet).