Baben Jonay (Butch) Patricelli

Baben Jonay Patricelli, age 87, of Boone, passed away Sunday morning, July 28, 2024 at Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living.

Born September 29, 1936 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she was a daughter of Joseph William and Marjorie Elizabeth Reitzner Butch.  After graduation from high school she went on to study Home Economics at Barry University and Library Science at Florida State University.  She earned her Master’s in Fashion and Interior Design as well as a Master’s in Library Science, both from Florida State. 

In 1960, Baben met Michael Patricelli while attending Florida State University.  They were married for 32 beautiful and exciting years.  Life adventures took them from Africa to South America.  Baben taught Home Economics on the junior high, senior high, junior college and university levels.  She modeled and put on fashion shows around the country including Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, Miami Beach, Palm Beach, Boone and Blowing Rock.  She owned a fashion business under the names of Baben Jonay and Purple Onion.  Baben also sponsored the Michael Roger Patricelli Craft enrichment Program at ASU.  She was involved in many volunteer activities and organizations.

She was predeceased by her husband, Michael, who died in 1992.  Baben is survived by cousins, Jerome ‘Jerry’ Schwartz of Knoxville, TN and Kenneth Schwartz of New Berlin, WI; godsons, Clayton E. Norris of Boone and James Wysllis of Milwaukee, WI; goddaughter, Henrietta Logan Brennan of Surfside, FL and best friends, Betty Mae Hodges of Boone and Margaret Little of Leeds, AL.

A Funeral Mass for Baben Jonay Patricelli will be celebrated Friday afternoon, August 2, 2024 at 3 o’clock at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, officiated by Father Brendan Buckler.  The family will receive friends from 2 until 3 o’clock, prior to services, at St. Elizabeth.  Entombment will follow at the Mount Lawn Memorial Park & Gardens Mausoleum.  Memorials may be made, in memory of Baben, to a charity or organization of choice.

We wish to thank Clayton Norris, Godson; Jim Deal, Attorney-at-Law, the staff of Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living and the staff of MediHome Hospice for making Baben’s life a pleasant journey. 

Online condolences may be shared at the website www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com

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