Patricia (Pat) Hammerbacher, age 89, of Wilkes-Barre, PA, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026. Born on March 17, 1937, in Union City, NJ to Edward and Mary Fay, Pat eventually moved with her family to Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, NY where she spent the bulk of her early years with her parents and five siblings.
At the age of 15, she met her future husband, George, at church. They were friends the first few years but then eventually began dating, got engaged, and married. Pat and George started their married life in Long Island where they had their first two children – Jeanne and Clare (Small-McEvoy). Pat received her degree in Business Administration from St. John’s University while pregnant with Jeanne. Eventually, the couple moved to Wilkes-Barre where George taught English at King’s College for many years. While in Wilkes-Barre, Pat and George had two more children – Kenneth and Noelle (married to Michael Daley). Pat spent many years working as a Business Education teacher in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District; most of those years were spent teaching at Coughlin High School.
Pat is survived by her loving husband of almost 67 years, Dr. George Hammerbacher. She was a loving mother to her four children and found so much joy in her grandchildren, Kathryn Small, Billy Small (married to Megan Small [née Rau]), Jimmy McEvoy, Elsa Daley, and Finn Daley, and great-grandchildren, Nolan Small and Willow Small.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Nicholas-St. Mary’s Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA at 10 AM on August 19, 2026. Visitation is from 9 to 10 AM at the church. Interment will follow Mass at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hanover Twp.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Scranton Health Care Center’s Resident Activity Fund at 2933 McCarthy Street, Scranton, PA 18505.
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