Patricia Sermabeikian, age 75, of Mashpee, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 12th, at Falmouth Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Peter and Elizabeth (Benlian) Bordonaro.

Patricia spent her entire career in service to others. As a teenager, she volunteered at an old age home. She first attended Boston University at Amherst and later transferred to Rutgers University. When she graduated from college, she became a child protective social worker for the state of New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). There, she investigated Cases of child physical and sexual abuse and provided services to the children. While she was working at DYFS, Patricia attended Rutgers Graduate School social work on a scholarship. After leaving DYFS, she went on to obtain her PhD in social work from Rutgers University. During that time, she also directed a program to treat families in which there was child abuse through Barnert Hospital in Paterson. Following that, she went on to be a clinician and supervisor at Hackensack Hospital’s Audrey Hepburn Children's House for over 20 years. This is a regional child abuse and neglect diagnostic and treatment center. While accomplishing this, she raised two children, maintained a private practice, and was an adjunct professor of social work at Rutgers University. Her monograph “Our Clients, Ourselves: The Spiritual Perspective and Social Work Practice” was published as a sole author in the prestigious journal, Social Work. It was the first of its kind on this topic and was translated into numerous foreign languages. She retired in 2020. In March of 2024, she lost her beloved son, Peter, which left her with a deep sorrow. Despite this, she kept a positive attitude about her. She will be remembered for her kindness and impact on those around her.

Patricia is survived by her first husband, Hagop Sermabeikian, her adopted daughter, Amber Sermabeikian, and her companion of 49 years, Douglas Martinez. She maintained close ties to the Poindexter family, Lucine, Anna, Veronica, and Joseph, her cousin, Larry Siracusa, and Frank Nugnes and Betty Sermabeikian.. Her colleagues are too numerous to name.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visit with Patricia’s family at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, MA, on Tuesday, May 26th, from 10-12 PM, with a service in the Funeral Home at Noon. Services will conclude with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.