Patricia Ann Sweeney Wolfe, a homemaker who wrote a history of the Govans church where she worshipped, died of cancer Sunday at the Mercy Ridge retirement community.
The former Cedarcroft resident was 88.
Born in Baltimore, she was the daughter of John J. Sweeney, a sales representative for Arrow beer, and Edna Anderson Sweeney, a World War II Selective Service worker.
She attended Blessed Sacrament School and was a 1947 graduate of Towson Catholic High School, where she was editor of the school newspaper and yearbook.
In 1950, she earned a degree in journalism from the University of Baltimore. It was there that she met her future husband, Henry R. Wolfe. He was later an official of the Crown Central marketing department.
After raising five sons, Mrs. Wolfe served as a docent for the Maryland Historical Society. She also served as secretary to the dean of students and to the counseling center at what is now Notre Dame of Maryland University.
Mrs. Wolfe wrote a commemorative book for the 125th anniversary of St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Govans, where she had been president of the Parents Association.
She also wrote poems for her five sons' birthdays.
An accomplished cook, Mrs. Wolfe enjoyed making Maryland crab soup, Irish soda bread with raisins and buttercream candies. She was the subject of 1979 Sun article that detailed her preparation of a family Thanksgiving meal.
"In a simple white enamel stove, Mrs. Wolfe manages to roast a 24-pound turkey, bake a casserole of additional stuffing, a potato souffle and homemade bread," the article said. The story noted that she also made mashed sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, corn pudding, broccoli, stewed tomatoes, cranberry-orange relish and several homemade pies.
Family members said she had a saying for her sons that described how they were raised: "We gave you all the same — everything we had."
A Mass of Christian burial was offered Friday at St. Mary of the Assumption.
Survivors include her five sons, J. Thomas Wolfe of Baltimore, John Wolfe of Shrewsbury, Pa., Henry R. Wolfe of Glenmoore, Pa., Robert Wolfe of Baltimore and Christopher Wolfe of Charlottesville, Va.; a brother, William B. Sweeney of Towson; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Her husband of 64 years died in 2015.
—Jacques Kelly