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AARC Mourns Loss of Patricia Blakely

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September 11, 2013

Patricia Blakely
Patricia Blakely

The AARC was saddened to learn of the death of Patricia Blakely, RRT, FAARC. Blakely passed away suddenly earlier this week.

An AARC member since 1984, Blakely was serving as chair of the Judicial Committee at the time of her death and was also a member of the Political Action Committee. She was a member of the AARC Board of Directors from 2000–2003 and received the Outstanding Affiliate Contributor Award in 1998 for her work at the South Carolina Society of Respiratory Care (SCSRC). She was named Delegate of the Year by the AARC House of Delegates in 1996.

This year she was awarded the Thomas L. Petty, MD Invacare Award for Excellence in Home Respiratory Care, which was to be presented to her at the awards ceremony in Anaheim, CA at AARC Congress 2013.

Blakely was president of the SCSRC in 1993, and was currently serving as co-chair of the state society’s Legislative Affairs Committee and as Parliamentarian. Her many colleagues at both the state and national level will remember her for her tireless devotion to respiratory care and the countless hours she spent working on behalf of her profession, her professional organizations, and her patients. 

Patricia Blakely received her respiratory therapy degree from Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC, and also attended Central Wesleyan College, majoring in management and human resources. At the time of her death, she was the division clinical manager at Apria Healthcare in West Columbia, SC.