Patricia Marie (Senese) Rademacher

Saco

Patricia Marie (Senese) Rademacher passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Saco, ME, at age 82. She was the widow of Dr. John Norman Rademacher, D.D.S.

Patty was born December 28, 1943, in Bridgeport, CT, to Alphonso "Al" and Florence (Pucci) Senese. The Seneses were proudly Italian-American, with a close-knit extended family that Patty reveled in as a child, and cherished as she grew to realize what a gift that was.

As a teenager, Patty developed an interest in cooking and learned from her aunts how to make dishes that had been handed down from Italian-born relatives. Vivacious and outgoing, she had a natural talent for hospitality as well as the culinary arts. Both were central professionally and in her personal life.

Patty met John Rademacher while attending Champlain College in Burlington, VT. She sometimes joked that she had agreed to date him because he had a car; he gloated that he had used the perfect bait to catch her attention. They married on June 10, 1967, in Fairfield, CT and soon settled in Newtown, CT, where they raised their sons, Mike and Marc.

Over the years, Patty had a successful catering business, taught cooking classes, and gave demonstrations for Cuisinart and KitchenAid around New England and as far away as the west coast. She had a steady following among attendees; at their urging, she wrote and published a cookbook to share the ways she had modified her recipes to accommodate family health issues. She published another a few years later to share some of her perennial favorites.

After retiring, she continued to share recipes with her friends and students through an email list. She also continued to explore her lifelong enjoyment of decoration and presentation, through paper media. She designed and created her own greeting cards, many of which are still displayed in recipients' homes.

Throughout her life, Patty's priority was family. She did everything in her prodigious power to take care of them. Her greatest gift was the time and attention she gave to her siblings, husband, children, and grandchildren. She loved to go on adventures with them, and loved to hang out at home with them, playing cards and Bananagrams – and of course, teaching them to cook.

Somehow, despite sharing recipes and all the hands-on teaching she did, nobody's food ever tastes exactly like Patty's.

Upon John's retirement in 2007, he and Patty built their dream house in Bethlehem, NH. Later, when remote living became too difficult, they relocated to Old Orchard Beach, ME.

Patty and John were rarely apart for more than a few days at a time, until John's death in January 2026. Despite the ups and downs of any long marriage, their faces still lit up when they saw each other, even in their 59th year together.

Patty loved to entertain guests, hosting intimate and large gatherings with equal aplomb. She loved celebrations of all kinds, and took great delight in presenting invitations, food, and gifts beautifully. She loved to laugh, and to share her outrageous sense of humor. She loved to dance, especially in her kitchen with her sons. She fiercely loved her family and friends.

Despite her extroverted nature, Patty could also be intensely private. Very few knew about her various illnesses until she had beaten them. She shielded everyone from her final illness as much as possible. Those who loved her want to acknowledge her incredible strength and bravery during even the most difficult times.

Patty leaves behind her sons, John-Michael (Tara) Rademacher of Rochester, NH; Marc (Kim) Rademacher of North Kingstown, RI; granddaughters Iris (Jax), Sabrina, Rachael, and Lorelei Rademacher; her siblings Mara (Trygve) DePuis of Oslo, Norway; Francine (Joseph) Merhill of Ashland, NH; Roberta (Mike) Smart of Henderson, NV; Monica (Tony) Marchese of West Hartford, CT; Fred Senese of Hornell, NY; nieces Nicole (Brian Parnell) Merhill, Renee (Dan Rekrut) Merhill, Marissa (Conor) Whitney; grandnephew Ethan Parnell, grandniece Hannah Rekrut, grandnephew Jake Rekrut, and grandniece Maeve Whitney.

Patty is also survived by many of the friends she collected and remained loyal to throughout her life. The family is especially thankful for Larry and Barbara Yurdin, who brightened so many of her days during the last few years.

To view Patty's memorial page or leave an online condolence please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com