Patricia Louise "Patti" Hudson

Patricia Louise “Patti” Hudson The Gingerbread Lady Patricia Louise “Patti” Hudson, “The Gingerbread Lady,” passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 22, 2019, at Hospice & Community Care. Born in Cumberland, MD, on September 10, 1933, she was the loving wife of R. Suter Hudson. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June. She was the daughter of John Clarence and Gladys Gill Fisher. Patti graduated from Allegheny High School in Cumberland, MD, St. Mary’s College where she was the president of the student government and the University of Maryland, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics. Her love of gingerbread making came about because of the enthusiastic contributions and encouragement from the many friends she made through the years while teaching and sharing her craft. While in Hawaii with her husband, who was in the Navy, she took cake decorating classes that provided the basis for her skills with gingerbread art. She taught classes in Gingerbread Housemaking for eight years at the Smithsonian Institution and authored the book, “Gingerbread Ideas,” in 1995; it is now in its fifth edition. She also produced three VCR tapes and a DVD, “Gingerbread Housemaking.” She was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal after publication of her book, which was distributed worldwide. A member of the Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting, Patti was also involved with the Sabian Assembly, a worldwide study of the writings of Mark Edmund Jones. She will be remembered for her generous spirit and the love of teaching children and adults gingerbread art. She enjoyed riding a tandem bike with her husband and they attended many East Coast Tandem rallies, including Tandem ’76 in Lancaster County, which they both organized. She is survived by her husband and by daughter, Linda Rae Hudson, wife of Jerome E. Herbers, Silver Spring, MD, three grandchildren, Esther Rae Herbers, Clara Grace Herbers, and Mairead Hunter, wife of Robby Franz, all of Maryland and sister, Mary Esther, wife of Thomas Lane, Manlius, New York. She was preceded in death by her son, John Suter Hudson in 2015 and by her brother, William H. Fisher. Relatives and friends are invited to attend Patti’s Funeral Service at Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting, 110 Tulane Terrace, Lancaster, PA on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. with Cindy Herr officiating. The family will greet everyone at a reception following the service. Private interment will be held at Philos Cemetery in Westernport, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting, 110 Tulane Terrace, Lancaster, PA 17603.