Hyde Park Resident Patty Caswell Passes Away at 86

Patty Caswell, an 86-year-old Hyde Park resident, passed away on September 2, 2026, at Yale Medical Center in New Haven. Born in Poughkeepsie on September 9, 1939, she spent most of her life in Hyde Park, where she was raised and graduated from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in 1957.

Patty worked for IBM early in her career before dedicating many years to the Hyde Park Central School District as secretary to the assistant superintendent. She also volunteered with the National Parks Service at Val-Kill Cottage, showcasing her love for the area's history.

Music was a vital part of Patty's life, and she began singing in church choirs at age eight. A devoted member of St. James' Episcopal Church in Hyde Park since 1974, Patty held various roles within the church, including choir member, lay reader, and outreach committee member. She also sang with the IBM Mixed Chorus and traveled to Europe as part of the Ecuinternational Chorale in 1999.

Patty's love for music extended beyond church; she enjoyed theatre and the arts, often taking her grandchildren on trips to New York City to see Broadway shows. The soundtracks of Les Misérables, South Pacific, and Phantom of The Opera were frequently played at home, along with classical music and The Three Tenors.