Sister Patricia Novak, O.S.B. died on July 9, 2014 after a long illness.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Patricia Jean Clabaugh married John Melvin Novak and the couple had four children and a foster daughter. After her husband died, Pat was very active in her parish of St. Leo Catholic Church in Inwood, West Virginia and later discerned a vocation to religious life. She became a member of the Benedictine Sisters in Bristow, VA in 2009, making her perpetual profession a few weeks before her death.
Pat’s family attests to the fact that she was a loving mother and very devoted to her faith and that she always put others before herself. As a Benedictine Sister, Sister Pat was known for her love of people and desire to help anyone who was needy. She worked for Transition Housing Barn, Inc in the evenings and loved being of help to the homeless mothers and their children.
Sister Pat is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Rue Ann and David Emerson, her three sons and their wives, Melvin and Debra, George and Cindy, James and Betty Jo Novak, her foster daughter, Diana Tomlin and husband Frankie, her sister, Marge Ruth, 11 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren, and the 33 members of her Benedictine community.
All services will take place at Saint Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, Virginia. Viewing will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 13 with a Vigil Service being held Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be celebrated on Monday, July 14 at 10:30 a.m. with burial in the sisters’ cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested for the Benedictine Sisters Retirement Fund at 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136.
-Information from Baker-Post Funeral Home in Manassas
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