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Patricia Ann McGrane
Patricia Ann McGrane
Philadelphia, PA
Patricia Ann McGrane died on February 6, 2024 at the age of 57. She was surrounded by her beloved husband Camillo Jose (CJ) Taylor and children Madeleine and Colin Taylor-McGrane.
The third child of Joseph and Barbara (Schnurr) McGrane, Patricia was born in Alameda, CA and grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA. She graduated from LaSalle High School, received her BA in Psychology from Grinnell College, and earned her Ph.D in Psychology from Yale University. In her second month at Yale, Patricia met CJ at a Halloween party where her smile and costume—a white T-Shirt that read “COSTUME”—caught his attention. She held it for the next 34 years.
Considered the most formidable of a houseful of McGranes by her siblings and friends alike, Patricia was a voracious reader and a world traveler. As a child, she disappeared regularly into books, and was once found hiding in the rafters of the attic just so she could read in peace. Her fascination with history and narrative carried over to real life, as she and CJ took a year to homeschool their children while traveling through Europe, Central America, and Asia.
She was fierce in her love for Madeleine, Colin and CJ—and committed to leaving the world a better place. A steadfast friend, generous and unpretentious, Patricia had a keen mind and ready sense of humor that delighted those around her, and a capacity for listening that helped them flourish. Over a three-decade career in the Philadelphia area, she worked with several public health and wellness organizations, including the National Youth Violence Prevention Center, Philadelphia Safe and Sound, and PHMC. She spent the last five years with the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative and Family Health Initiatives.
Unflinching in her final months as she faced incurable cancer, she continued to travel and read, never losing her characteristic candor, humor, and kindness. In addition to her husband and children, Patricia is survived by her parents, Barb and Joe; her five siblings, Kathy (Jon), S. Colleen Maura, Laura, Brian (Katy), and John (Jill); seven nephews, Peter, Joseph, Nicholas, Nolan, Benjamin, Henry, and Owen; and niece Molly.
Donations in Patricia’s memory can be made to The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan) and The Bread and Roses Community Fund.
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