Patricia Carratello, a former Idyllwild resident since 1980 and a teacher at Idyllwild School from 1991 to 2012, passed away peacefully on Thursday evening, March 20, at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, at age 74. She was enveloped in love by her devoted husband, John, their three children, Dominick and Anthony Carratello and Marissa Schubert, as well as her sister, Barbara Giampaolo.

Most people knew her as Patty, or Mrs. Carratello. She was much more than a beloved spouse and mother. She profoundly touched the lives of hundreds of students during her teaching career, as well as thousands more, through her many educational publications distributed worldwide. It would be a vast understatement to say she was a kind, generous human being. Her love of her Idyllwild community, and especially her students, was apparent to all who knew her.

She temporarily left the classroom to serve as a consulting teacher for the Hemet Unified School District between 2001 and 2003. But she quickly longed to get back to “my kids” at Idyllwild School. There, she took a deep, personal interest in each and every one of them. It was in her classroom where the magic happened, through her gentle, soft-spoken manner, sweet smile, and underlying belief in the beauty and value of all people.

In 2007 Patty became Riverside County Teacher of the Year and, around that same time, began coursework for a doctorate in education.

Patty’s ashes will be scattered in a private ceremony. A celebration of her life will be held in Idyllwild, sometime in the early fall, with date, time, and location to be announced this summer. The family invites all who have been touched by her life to attend. If you would like to be notified, please use Facebook Messenger to message Diane Burt at Facebook.com/diane.burt.96 or email Lynette Smith at GoodWaysToWrite@gmail.com. If you know of others who would like to be invited, please include their names and contact information when you write.

As a way to honor Patty’s memory, a contribution to the Idyllwild Scholarship Fund would be gratefully received. Fully tax-deductible donations are accepted online at https://idyllwildscholarshipfund.org/donate/ or by check mailed to Idyllwild Scholarship Fund, PO Box 778, Idyllwild, CA 92549. If you have any questions, email Molly at Molly.Mapel@gmail.com.