Obituary: Patricia Palmer, Oxford Republican Campaign Manager

OXFORD — Patricia "Patty" Marie (Bayusik) Palmer, 65, wife of August "Augie" A. Palmer III. 

Patty was born in Bridgeport on September 17, 1946, the daughter of the late John and Beulah (Patterson) Bayusik. The family later moved to Trumbull where Patty graduated from Trumbull High School in 1965, the first full four-year class to graduate from that school. She has been a resident of Oxford since 1998.

Patty will be lovingly remembered by her family including her husband Augie of 47 years; daughter, Deborah Elaine Fox and her husband Christopher Fox of Naugatuck; two grandchildren, Rachel and Nicholas Fox; four brothers, John, Robert, David, and Joe Bayusik; and several nephews and nieces.

Patty was employed as the secretary to the Oxford Wetlands and Conservation Commission and was also a secretary to the Oxford Planning and Zoning Commission. Together she and her husband also co-owned Universal Machine, Palmer Realty, Machinery Rebuilders, and RPM Grinding. She was also the Stratford Town Council Clerk from 1975-1983 and also worked as a clerk in the Stratford Registrar of Voters Office. She also held a Connecticut real estate broker license.

Patty was a Brownie leader, a Girl Scout leader at the Wilcoxson School in Stratford, where she was also a member of the Barnum Festival, Stratford Barnum Festival Float, and Stratford Day Barnum Festival committees.  Patty was also the past president of the Stratford Republican Women and worked on many successful election campaigns for the Stratford Town Council and was district coordinator for the successful election of Congressman Larry DeNardis. The celebration of that campaign ended with her and Augie dancing at the inaugural ball in Washington D.C. for President Ronald Wilson Regan.  

Patty was also a member of the Oxford Republican Town Committee and was involved in the state representative campaigns in Oxford and Stratford, of Augie Palmer, Ronald San Angelo, David Labriola and state Senators George "Doc" Gunther, Lou DeLuca and Robert Kane.

In Oxford, she worked on the successful campaigns of former First Selectman Paul Schreiber and most recently the campaign of current First Selectman George R. Temple; doing all the planning and preparations for his swearing in ceremony on Nov. 21 of this year.

She also worked on numerous gubernatorial and presidential campaigns; and attended Republican state conventions in 1976, 1980, 2000 and 2010.  Patty's passion was her husband Augie, daughter and son-in-law, her two grandchildren, golfing and traveling. Patty brought a contagious work ethic to everything that she performed.  She was always there to do more than her share and never complained. We will miss her warm smile and friendly "Hi." 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, January 6 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 318 Church Street, Naugatuck.  Friends are asked to meet directly at the church at 10:45 a.m. Burial will follow in Mountain Meadows Cemetery, 117 Mountain Road, Seymour. Calling hours will be held at the Naugatuck Valley Memorial/Fitzgerald Zembruski Funeral Home, 240 North Main St., Naugatuck on Thursday from 4-8pm.  To send an on-line condolence, please visit www.naugatuckvalleymemorial.com.