A public memorial service for Patricia Sonntag was held on Monday at the University Union’s Ballroom. She was 63 years old.

“Pat is best known for her passion, her advocacy, her generosity, her dedication and her curiosity,” said Judy Dean, the co-director of Services to Students with Disabilities. “She had a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge for the next generation.”

The service marked the nearly five-month anniversary of Sonntag’s death after she passed away at her home on June 2.

“(She) was the heart, the intellect and the conscience of Sacramento State University. The results of her work can be seen throughout the entire campus,” Margaret Merrick Scheffelin said in a written tribute to Sonntag. “Pat’s untimely demise has robbed those of us who knew her. We have lost a trusted colleague, a mentor- and a person of highest integrity.”

“We who knew her and her work have a duty to honor her work-Pat has set a high example for all of us,” Merrick Schefflin said. “We must carry on her work.”

As a faculty member of the Services to Students with Disabilities, Sonntag dedicated more than 31 years of her life to helping students with disabilities not only cope with the pressures and challenges of college life, but also thrive in the California State University system.

——- “A lot of what she did was just promoting the general interests of students with disabilities,” said Melissa Repa, the co-director of the Services to Students with Disabilities. “She was one of the driving forces behind the recently completed High Tech Center, which provides computer access and adaptive technology for students with disabilities.”

—— Best known as an advocate for the disabled, Sonntag focused much of her attention on the issues of accessibility, health services and equal rights.

—— “Patricia was a tireless advocate for students, in terms of both accessibility and support for learning,” said former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ric Brown. “She worked with faculty and staff members to ensure that students with identified disabilities received the support necessary for their eventual success.”

——- — -Sonntag, an avid reader and researcher, was also interested in politics on both a local and national level.

She was even involved in the passing of three Budget Change Proposals that now provide funds for the disabled student program at all 23 CSU campuses, Repa said. –

– “She was a great woman and will be missed as a champion of the disability access movement,” Repa said.

——- -Sonntag is survived by her daughter Rachael and her two sisters Kathi Sonntag and Peg Bettcher, along with a number of close friends, colleagues and of course, all those whose lives she has touched. –

—— Donations in Sonntag’s name can be made to the American Heart Association, the Diabetes Foundation or the California Disability Action Network.

Ashley Evans can be reached at [email protected]