Obituary of Patricia E. O'Hara

Patricia O’Hara died peacefully in her home in Duluth, MN on July 16, 2021. Her devoted husband Peder Yurista was with her. Patricia (Patty) will be missed by members of her large family. She is survived by her sister, Maureen Ruderman (Stephen) of Syosset, NY; her brother, Thomas O’Hara (Kathleen) of Shirley, NY; her brother, Kevin O’Hara (Lynn Worden) of Avondale, PA; her sister Margaret O’Hara (Edwin Smith) of Hastings-on Hudson, NY; and sister-in-law, Lisa O’Hara of Havertown, PA. Her beloved brother, John O’Hara, predeceased her. Patricia is also survived by many nieces and nephews, as well as cousins, uncle and aunts.

Patricia was born to the late Thomas James O’Hara and Evelyn Marie (Ryan) O’Hara in Greensboro, NC, on February 16, 1954. The family lived in several states due to her father’s career as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patricia spent most of her childhood in Parma, Ohio. When her father transferred to the FBI’s NYC office, the family moved to Floral Park, NY, where Patricia graduated from Floral Park Memorial High School.

After high school, Patricia attended the State University of New York (SUNY) in Purchase, NY. After obtaining a BS degree, Patricia attended Columbia University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Geochemistry in 1987. Patricia worked at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a unit of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, while in the Master’s program. After completing her Master’s, Patricia worked for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

Patricia met her husband, Peder, on the tundra at the Toolik Lake LTER (Long Term Ecological Research Site) while both were involved in research there. The pair later married in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, February 25, 1993. They eventually moved to Duluth MN in November 2000 for work, where they bought a house. Patricia transformed it into the home it is and resided there until her passing.

Memorials will be held in Duluth, MN and in the Hudson Valley, NY.