Patricia Scarlata
Tricia Scarlata, 75, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, surrounded by her family at Rahway Hospital. Born Patricia Ann Mulligan, in Elizabeth, NJ, she raised her family in Hillside before moving to Cranford, where she has resided for the past 20 years.
Friends and relatives are invited for a memorial visitation on Tuesday, May 13, from 6-9 pm at Dooley Funeral Home, 218 North Ave. West, Cranford, N.J., 07016. A prayer service will be offered during the visitation.
Tricia had many passions in her life, including a love of travel. She worked as a professional travel agent and corporate travel planner for many years, getting to see the world in the process. She had an incredibly creative mind and spirit, and was talented in building various crafts and displays, especially around the holidays with Christmas and Halloween. If you ever received a wrapped present from her, the wrapping itself was an ornate gift. She owned her own business, Florida Fruit Shoppe and Gift Baskets in Fanwood, which allowed her to turn her creative passions into a second career. She had a very generous and charitable side, too, always striving to elevate whatever project or task was at hand. She shared her love through her creative talents, baking elaborate cakes, gingerbread houses, and even holiday themed meatloaf, back in the day. When she was raising her young children, her boundless creativity came to life in the character, Henrietta the Roller-skating Clown, as a way to help cheer up children in the community. She was also an avid gardener, animal lover, and our very own Cat Whisperer.
Patricia was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Ann Mulligan; and her brothers, Tommy and Danny.
Surviving are her devoted husband of 57 years, Phil; her beloved sons, Phil, and Chris and his wife Meghan Hudson; her loving siblings, her sister, Noreen, and her brother Robert; her many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to City Green. Donations can be made at www.citygreenonline.org