Patricia (Pat) Goff Coene passed away peacefully May 7 at the Brandywine Assisted Living Facility in Shrewsbury at the age of 87 due to complications from dementia.
Patricia was born May 30, 1932 in Montclair to Edwin and Irene Olsen Goff. She was the youngest of two children. Her sister Barbara Hofford is currently living at an assisted living facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Patricia obtained her associate degree from Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. She spent her summers at the Jersey Shore, meeting up with friends at the iconic Victorian hotel The Bluffs in Bay Head, and where, in 1958, she met the man she would marry, Edgar (Ed) Coene. They moved to Little Silver in the 1960s where Patricia was an original member of the Monmouth County Newcomer’s Club.
Patricia loved her friends. She spent her weekends and summers between Deal Golf and Country Club and Monmouth Beach Bath & Tennis Club soaking up the sun, playing golf and bridge and sharing laughs. Later in life, she and Ed split their time between Vero Beach, Florida and Rumson, traveling to beautiful places each year and raising their three children.
Pat was a member of the parish at Nativity Roman Catholic Church in Fair Haven and for many years she was part of a bowling team at Monmouth Lanes. She was a voracious reader and did The New York Times crossword puzzle almost every day before her long walks through the neighborhood. She also loved dining out and going to the theatre.
Patricia was preceded in death by her husband Edgar T. Coene Jr. (2013), her mother Irene Goff and father Edwin Goff. She is survived by her loving family: Susan Coene, her husband Eric Perl and their son Christopher Perl; Edgar (Ted) Coene, his wife Kimberley Coene and their three children, Robert, Thomas and Carolyn; and Patricia (Trish) Coene, her husband Robert DeStefano and their daughters, Chloe and Hailey.
Patricia’s family would like to extend loving gratitude to the staff at Brandywine, Ascend Hospice and Grace Hospice for their care, kindness and genuine concern during Pat’s five-year stay.
Due to the complications around the current COVID-19 pandemic, a private Celebration of Life service will take place at a later date. To offer condolences to the family, please visit thompsonmemorial.net.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or FRAXA. Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements.
