Patricia (Diment) Parillo March 12, 1942 - May 4, 2024

Patricia “Pat” Parillo, 82, of Lower Macungie, PA, passed away on May 4, 2024, at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Born March 12, 1942, in Boston, MA, to the late Gordon and Mary (Watkins) Diment, Pat was a warm and sunny presence to everyone around her. Fiercely intelligent and endearingly talkative, she had a strong sense of community and was the social glue for her family and the organizations she was part of.

While Pat appreciated traditional values and never abandoned her love of big band music, she was also a groundbreaker who became the first in her family to go to college and one of the few women in its business program. After graduating from Concord (Mass.) High School in 1959, Pat went to Northeastern University in Boston, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in accounting in 1964. She then became a teaching fellow in accounting while attending the school’s graduate program in business administration.

Pat met her husband, Francis “Frank” Parillo, while they were graduate students at Northeastern. After marrying in 1965 and having four children, Pat became a full-time mom, taking on a host of duties like Cub Scout den mother, soccer coach, and grade school room mother. After her children were grown, she rejoined the workforce and worked as an accountant at several companies before retiring in 2009.

That same year, Pat and Frank moved to the Four Seasons Retirement Community in Lower Macungie, PA. Embracing its lively social scene and full calendar of events and activities, Pat signed up for a variety of classes and learned new skills, such as tap dancing and water aerobics. She also joined the book club and ran the travel committee for many years, organizing day and overnight trips.

Retirement gave Pat more time to enjoy the things she loved doing, like visiting family and spending time with her grandchildren, going on cruises, traveling to Disney World and her beloved Myrtle Beach, and playing with her dog. Pat was a lifelong animal lover and doted on a series of family dogs.

She is survived by her husband; her children, Brian (Judy) Parillo, Scott (Athena Osborne) Parillo, Kathleen Parillo, and Kristen Parillo; her grandchildren, Ethan and Nina Parillo; her brother, Jim (Kathleen McFadden) Diment; her brother-in-law, Charlie Parillo; sister-in-law Irene Diment and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother, Joseph Diment; her sister, Mary Ellen Harper; and her sister-in-law, Jean Parillo.

A viewing will be held May 18 at 10am, followed by a funeral service at 11am, both at St. Ann’s Church, 415 S. 6th St., Emmaus PA 18049. Arrangements handled by Stephens Funeral Home Inc. www.stephensfuneral.com

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Animals in Distress, PO Box 609, 5075 Limeport Pike, Coopersburg PA 18036.