Patricia (Hildick) Bazemore Maxson

Sturbridge - Dr. Patricia H. Maxson, 74, passed from this life to the next on Thursday, April 16, 2015. She is the daughter of the late Walter E. and Anne Folan Hildick of Worcester. She is survived by her husband, Stephen C. Maxson; her brother, William T. Hildick; her children, Jonathan P. Bazemore, Katherine A. Harrison and Mary E. Bazemore; her grandchildren, Elijah, Bexon and William Harrison, and Michelle Bazemore; by her nieces, Sue and Anne; and by many cousins.
She is a 1958 graduate of Norwich Free Academy. She received a B.A. (cum laude) from Radcliffe College in 1962 and an M.D. from Yale Medical School in 1966. Her career and personal life were guided by compassion for those who struggled. She served the mentally ill population for the majority of her career, giving voice and meticulous care to their medical needs. She pioneered the recognition, treatment and prevention of swallowing disorders and choking in the mentally ill. Her professional skill and personal empathy for the mentally ill were highly regarded by administrators, doctors, nurses, staff, patients and families alike. She was Chief of Medicine at Worcester State Hospital from 1988 to 2010 and at Taunton State Hospital from 2010 to 2013. She was also Associate Professor of the Departments of Family Medicine and of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She also served for many years as a member of the Admissions Committee of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and as preceptor for the Physician’s Assistant Programs at The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Springfield College and Towson University. Due to illness, she retired in 2013 from her professional life.
She was also avidly interested in the History of Psychiatry, especially in Worcester, and she was a major force in the preservation of the Clock Tower at Worcester State Hospital. She also had a keen interest in the history and culture of the British Monarchy. She had a deep love of music and was an accomplished pianist. For many years, Dr. Don Lundgren, Dr. Deborah Hines and she performed holiday concerts for the patients and staff at Worcester State Hospital.
With her husband, Stephen, she enjoyed traveling. Over the years, they visited Scandinavia, Scotland, England, The Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Malta. She loved France, especially Paris, and she was passionate about French language and culture. These trips are well documented in her superb photographs that capture the beauty of Parisian shops, streets, flowers, and meals. She loved the Eiffel Tower and the Jules Verne Restaurant, but she hated its elevator.
She routinely had the most modern means of capturing her images and was an early adopter of new technology from the very first home computer to her latest digital camera and iPhone. Like her father, she loved the capacity of new technology to improve human communication and discovery.
All kinds of needlework were relaxing for her. She crocheted and she knitted. Among her many handicrafts were head warmers, hats, sweaters, afgans, and prayer shawls
She was a fiercely devoted and instinctual mother, maintaining her firmly held beliefs and standards for her three children despite so many opportunities to take an easier way out. She passed on her father’s enduring question “what have you done for the good of the order today” through the example of her own life’s work. Her love and devotion to her children was evident in her persistent belief in their ability to meaningfully contribute to “the good of the order.”
She was a deeply religious and exceptionally Christian woman. As a child she often attended Mass with her mother. More recently, she became devoted to the loving spirituality of the Divine Mercy, often praying the chaplet of Divine Mercy and visited the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge many times. She was also devoted to the little way of St. Teresa of the Little Flower of Jesus. In 2000, she and her husband, Stephen, made a pilgrimage to St. Teresas’ home and convent. Her great empathy and love for others flowed from her love of God, her faith and her calling.
She showed unflagging love for not only her patients but also for her parents, brother, husband, children, grandchildren, other relatives, her colleagues, her friends, especially Vanessa, her dogs, especially Cardiff, and her cats, especially Twilight. When all else fades and fails, it will be her love and her smile that will live on in our hearts. Calling hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at St. Anne’s Church, 16 Church Street, Fiskdale. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made for the study of French language and culture at Norwich Free Academy, 305 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360. To share a memory or leave an online condolence please "Sign the Guestbook" on this page.