Patricia Colleen McLaughlin

It would be unfair to say that Patty lost her battle with Myasthenia Gravis. The truth is that she beat the odds that M.G. gave her for many decades. Doctors told her as a teenager that she was unlikely to live to her twenties, and would certainly not fulfill her dream of starting a family. With a heart full of love and strength, Patty lived on to become an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother, and would impact countless lives through her dedication to children and to helping other families grow through adoption.

Patty was born in 1959 to James and Nancy (Kellerman) Wigginton in St. Petersburg, FL, at the same hospital where she would someday give birth to her two sons. She was a graduate of Largo High School and pursued Religious Studies at the University of South Florida. After being set up on a blind date by her sister, Patty fell in love with Mike McLaughlin and married him in Clearwater, FL, in 1985.

Patty devoted both her personal and professional life to children, especially children in need. She was a beloved and admired figure in the adoption community who was much sought after for her wisdom, compassion, and skills as a counselor, educator, and advocate. Her family has been overwhelmed with gratitude in recent days as they have read numerous stories of how Patty helped so many families to navigate the adoption process in general and to deal with issues related to attachment and childhood trauma in particular.

All who knew Patty spoke of her love, her warmth, her kindness, and her generosity. She was always available to listen whenever you needed her, regardless of what time of day or night it was. She was an incredible storyteller, and both her children and her grandchildren share fond memories of time spent listening to her tell stories of her childhood and reading children’s books aloud. In her later years, she took great joy in sewing blankets for her grandbabies and spoiling them on Christmas and birthdays. Proud of her Scottish heritage, she became known for her “Tuesday Coosday” posts on social media, in which she would share a cute picture of Highland Cattle each week.

Patty is survived by her husband Michael, her sister Janet (David), her uncle Chris (Pat), her children Ryan (Fallon), Joshua (Colleen), Esther (Rob), Faith (Zachary), and Elianna, her grandchildren Arthur, Máire, Gabriel, Nolan, Molly, and Aria, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other extended family members, and beloved friends who considered her family.

A Celebration of Life for Patty will take place at Waters Avenue Church in Tampa, FL, on June 4th at 2:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Suncoast Hospice in Patty’s memory.