ATCA Memories of Patricia Hook

Patricia Shipley Hook, 1932-2010

“A very sensitive human being and a great critic” — Mario Fratti.  

“It was always a delight to find her attending the same performance. We often talked about memories that a show engendered and shared stories. Pat loved talking about the good things she saw in a show. She had a deep understanding and appreciation for theater… . She was charming, friendly and a very kind and great lady. She was almost too kind to be a critic.” — Brad Hathaway, who spoke at her memorial service. 

“Patricia Hook was remarkably kind. She was truly a wonderful, good-hearted woman who could be counted on as a stalwart advocate of her passions… . [and she was] always a vibrant voice of reason among our membership and on our Foundation’s Board of Directors.”

She was much beloved and was never less than a kind friend to many of us… . Patricia was very open with many of us about the pain of her loss and the tragedy of Evan’s death. It was her passion for nurturing the next generation that led her to create the Evan Shipley Hook Fund.

— Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, president of Foundation ATCA.  

“The Hook fund was started at the convention in 1994 at the O’Neill Center… . Pat started it with a modest amount and we announced it and asked for contributions at the meeting… . Pat and I always had a special sort of relationship because I grew up in Maryland and still had lots of relatives in the Baltimore-Washington area. We always found some time to talk during the conventions. She was a generous and kind woman who truly loved the theater.

“I know her son’s death was initially very difficult for her to get over (you always feel responsible for your children even when you aren’t), and turning that grief into making a positive difference for young people in her profession was a great help to her — and a wonderful thing for her to do for ATCA. It also kept her involved in ATCA and in touch with all her friends, which meant a lot to her. She was a sweet lady and I’ll miss her.”

  – Marianne Evett, ATCA Chair when the Hook Fund began.