Remembering Pat Coleman

August 27, 2019

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo has had many fans and supporters over the years, but few have been more loyal and generous than Patrick Coleman, who passed away August 13. Pat served on the Happy Hollow Foundation Board of Directors for an incredible twenty years as treasurer, from 1990-2010, sharing his accounting skills on a volunteer basis to do the day-to-day Foundation bookkeeping, file its annual taxes, work with Park & Zoo staff to manage grants, and oversee its annual audit. He was also instrumental in supporting the 2008-2010 remodel of the Park & Zoo, sometimes hosting strategy meetings at his home.

Pat’s interest in Happy Hollow began even before there WAS a Happy Hollow. As a boy, Pat was a close friend of Bill Keeley (father of another long time board member, Jill Holdaway), who worked for what was then called the Parks and Recreation department of the City of San José, and who helped get the park ready to open in 1960. Pat Coleman was one of the first visitors to Happy Hollow, and years later, Pat and his wife, Ellen Coleman, sent their son, Jeff, to Happy Hollow’s Puppet Camp.  Jeff eventually became a Puppet Camp Junior Counselor. Both of these connections inspired Pat to join the Board of Directors, and the Puppet Castle Theater was always a particular favorite feature of the Park & Zoo.

Happy Hollow Foundation board members, both those who were lucky enough to serve with him, or those who served after him, remember Pat with great fondness and respect. Jill Holdaway described him as being “always eager to take on responsibilities. … He had a positive way of connecting to people that got their trust and cooperation. He was quite upbeat.”

Former board member Nicholas Adams said, “I served on my very first nonprofit board many years ago with a man who was the epitome of humble community service. His positive energy was amazing and his ability to see things from a healthy perspective without judgment was unique.”

Current board secretary Bill Tuttle said of Pat, “I remember he was spoken of reverently as an early pinnacle for Happy Hollow Foundation and is one of the shoulders upon which we stand.”

We will always be grateful for Pat’s many years of service, and we thank the friends and family of Patrick Coleman who made generous gifts in his memory to support his beloved Happy Hollow:

Fran Brautigan

DeBolt and O’Reilly Families

Martie Degutis

Nancy DuPuy

Karen Fierravanti

Robert Garavello

Emily and Jeff Hawley

Linda and John Herschbach

Jill and Ben Holdaway

Vicki, Harvey, Taylor and Paige Jordan/Litfin

Debbie Mackie

Patricia Monroe

Andrea Oliver

Kelly Simcox

Ronald and Susan Ursini and Family

Betty and William Wilson

Mike and Pat Wooding