PATRICIA LILLIAN GUTOSKI

Condolences & Memories (8 entries)

• My deepest condolences to Pat's family. She was always there with a great smile and ready to help, as she helped me on many an occasion. She will be missed. - Posted by: Jesse Carrie (Colleague) on: Dec 17, 2013

• Ms. Gutoski will always be remembered by me for being a warm and inviting person with energy and patience. She was always able to help navigate the University system! She made our futures possible. Thank you, Pat - for your dedication! This world will miss you. - Posted by: Alexis Burt (Student) on: Dec 16, 2013

• I am so sad to hear this terrible news. You smile and your very kind help will be remembered for ever. Dear Pat, rest in peace. - Posted by: Jing Ma (student) on: Dec 12, 2013

• Rick and I pass on our deepest sympathy to Pat's Family, we worked with Pat for decades. From the Faculty of Science to the Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources. Pat's dedication and caring commitment to students as they progressed through their program truly made a difference to the students' success. Her lifelong contribution to the Delta Marsh Field Station was remarkable. Pat's engaging nature is sorely missed. - Posted by: Dr. Jill Oakes (Colleague and Friend) on: Dec 10, 2013

• I am saddened to hear this news. Pat was very helpful in providing me with the information and forms I needed for my grad studies at the U of M. She was a very kind woman and will be greatly missed within the department. My condolences to her family and friends. - Posted by: Stephen Berg (Student) on: Dec 09, 2013

• So sorry to hear about the loss of her fight to survive - no longer here to brighten lives with her caring. Pat was a lovely and generous-hearted lady who was held in high regard by everyone. Dear Pat, Thank you for being a friend - rest in Peace, free of pain. - Posted by: Ivan & Connie LeBlanc (former co-worker (Connie) & friends) on: Dec 08, 2013

• No gesture is too small to make a difference in someone's life. Pat Gutoski taught me three very important lessons about this. I want her teachings to be known. She worked as the Graduate Student Advisor in my university department for decades. She had a very professional demeanour about her but when we would get to talking it would become very clear how much students mattered to her. When I would visit her office, there was a decorative item on her shelf that had been brought to her by a student who had done their field work abroad. She told me that she couldn't believe someone would have thought to bring her a gift and so she displayed it proudly. It symbolized the impact of our relationships that so often go unacknowledged between administrative staff and students. The month after beginning my Master's program, my SSHRC scholarship application was due to my department on the Friday before the Thanksgiving long weekend. Although it was my fourth draft, it was sub-par and I was scrambling to complete something polished by 4:30 p.m. She offered that I take the weekend to make it something I felt good about handing in. She said that no one would be looking at it over the weekend anyhow. This was almost the opposite of what she had told me months prior with my another application. I stopped my crying and breathed - smiled even, thankful that someone understood the pressure that I was under. I could not have been successful in that competition without her extension. It truly changed my life. When I was struggling with my health months later, she encouraged that I take care of myself and did what she could to assist me in communicating with other departments about that. The following year, she went on a leave of absence. By Christmas time, I had grown concerned that we hadn't heard from her. I requested her personal contact information and the office staff passed along my request. She wrote to me a long letter and we corresponded back and forth. She was now undergoing treatment for cancer. It was not easy and she was doing her best to stay positive. She came to mind last month and I thought to write her but did not. I will not forget how important of an ally she was for me. We were fortunate to have her looking out for us. It's so important that we do this. - Posted by: Karina Cardona Claros (Student) on: Dec 06, 2013

• Sincerest condolences to Pat's family. In my years working with Pat in the Environment and Geography Department I was always struck by her work ethic and her sincere care and concern for the graduate students that came to her for help and guidance. A wonderful woman gone too soon. - Posted by: Dr. Bonnie Hallman (Colleague) on: Dec 06, 2013