Why I Give: Pat and Frank Ducato

Since moving in 2 ½ years ago, Pat and Frank Ducato have discovered firsthand why The Village at Penn State’s motto is “Live like a senior, feel like a freshman.” From the first time they visited, it felt like home. As avid sports fans, and with Frank’s ties to the university as an alumnus, they take full advantage of the Penn State University connection.

Pat and Frank met through a friend of Frank’s. Pat was in nursing school and Frank was working in marketing. In Pat’s words, “The hospital where I was a student received an invitation from the local army base. They were hosting a dance and invited us to attend. The soldiers wanted to meet some girls, and we wanted to meet some guys.”

“At the dance, I met a soldier who kept talking about his friend, a ‘swinging bachelor’ with an apartment. One snowy night, this soldier invited my friends and me to a party at his friend’s apartment. Frank was the ‘swinging bachelor.’”

Nine months later Pat and Frank were engaged, and they traveled to Pittsburgh to visit Frank’s parents. Upon their return, Frank discovered a letter in his mailbox that said “Greetings.” He was drafted during the Berlin crisis of 1961. Following Pat’s graduation and during the Cuban crisis, they were married on a three day pass.

After the wedding, they moved to Fayetteville, NC where Frank was stationed. Pat found a nursing job at the local hospital. Frank would later take a marketing job in Michigan where they raised their son and retired on a lake.

Having witnessed the tremendous benefits of a continuing care retirement community with Frank’s father, there was never any question in their mind that they would eventually move into a community that could provide the best retirement possible. Originally, Pat and Frank looked at communities in North Carolina, which still holds a special place in their hearts. However, one visit to The Village convinced them it was the right place.

“We are so impressed with everything that Liberty does down to every last detail,” Frank says. “Liberty’s choices of elegant design and features for the new community room and other spaces are just stunning.” Frank and Pat quickly signed on to the Pride of Our Life Campaign and made their first gift.

From Pat and Frank’s apartment, you see the beautifully landscaped Palmer Park off their patio with its putting green and other outdoor features. When construction began on the park, Frank pondered how nice it would be to have a water feature. “I figured if I was going to ask for something, I should be willing to pay for it,” Frank explains.

Now thanks to their generous support through multiple gifts, Palmer Park has been enhanced with the addition of a fountain, which will serve to commemorate their support for a long time to come. Being a savvy businessman, Frank also knows that special touches like Palmer Park help with marketing.

“This is our home,” Pat adds. “We’ve always lived in a nice house that we took pride in. We want to do the same at The Village by contributing to the beauty and maintenance of what we have here.”