Reverend Patricia Annette (Tilley) Walton made her transition from this life into eternal life on October 30, 2025, at the age of 82. She passed peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family and her favorite music.
Born on February 27, 1943, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Patricia attended elementary, junior, and high school in the Boston area. Prior to graduating from Brighton High School in 1960, she met Homer Joseph Walton Jr., who she would marry in 1961. The two celebrated their 62nd Anniversary before Homer’s passing in 2023.
Patricia began her family with Homer in Roxbury, MA, where their two beloved children, Aaron and Valerie, were born. Before long, the family moved into their own home in Bellingham, MA.
Patricia was a devoted mother who prioritized education for her children and herself. As a working mother, she initially took on a newspaper delivery route, before spotting a classified ad that changed the course of her life. Patricia was hired as a secretary at Babson College, where she later advanced to Assistant to the Director of Development and secretary to the Dean of the Graduate Program. Her tenure at Babson, which lasted from 1978 to 1985, helped pave the way for both Aaron and Valerie to attend and graduate from the prestigious institution. Patricia also took courses there before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Boston College, where, in 1990, she graduated cum laude and was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society.
During her undergraduate years, Patricia’s growing interest in faith and service inspired her to pursue graduate-level studies at the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Counseling at Boston College. She later entered the Master of Divinity Program at Andover Newton Theological School. In May of 1998, Patricia became the Protestant Chaplain at Wellesley College, a role she continued in for six years, until her retirement.
In the year 2000, at the age of 57, Patricia became an ordained pastor with the United Church of Christ, choosing the UCC for its inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ clergy and congregants. For several years, she brought her one-woman show about Harriet Tubman to churches and schools in Massachusetts and California. The play, which she wrote, produced, and performed, highlighted Tubman’s unwavering faith and spiritual courage.
Patricia began her family with Homer in Roxbury, MA, where their two beloved children, Aaron and Valerie, were born. Before long, the family moved into their own home in Bellingham, MA — a proud achievement that came with new challenges. The neighborhood was not yet integrated, but Patricia and Homer stood up to those who were not welcoming of their family.
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