Auntie Pat

'Auntie Pat' Leaves Her Day Care After 39 Years

By Erik Zygmont

Estabrook, 70, will retire at the end of this school year, after 39 years of teaching and caring for young children in the community. Estabrook has run the nursery since 1967, after she was laid off from Western Electric. She modeled her day-care methods on her experience raising her own two boys, and countless kids have since benefited from her casual, motherly care.

"It’s been very not formal, very informal," she said. "I’ve always tried to make it their second home."

In the beginning, Estabrook said, she ran the nursery from her basement. She charged 50 cents per day for school, and $10 per week for day care, including food. Estabrook’s first graduation class, in 1968, had 15 children. They wore graduation caps cut from bleach bottles and cardboard boxes.

After 10 years, Estabrook moved her day-care center and school from her basement to the building next door. She has a preschool program and a kindergarten program and is state-licensed. She has taken various courses over the years to retain her certification.

In a career field with high turnover rates, Estabrook has had dedicated employees. One woman, who just left, worked with Estabrook for 38 years. She has had two other employees stay for 25 and 15 years respectively. The steadfastness of her help indicates that she must be doing something right.

And Estabrook has been doing it right for a very long time; long enough, in fact, that she has cared for more than one generation in a few families.

In many schools, a teacher will often look knowingly at a new student and say, "I had your brother." Estabrook is one of the few who might say, "I had your father."

"Two or three of the children I have this year, I had their parents when they were little," she said.

And Estabrook has enjoyed every minute of her life’s vocation.

"It’s just a very rewarding job," she said. "I love the job and I love the children. It will be very hard to give up."

The children, also, will have a hard time giving up "Auntie Pat." One little girl told her, in a four-year-old’s direct words, "Auntie Pat, I don’t think you should close. It’s not fair to us. You need to stay open longer."

But Estabrook said she feels ready for a change. She plans to take the summer off, and then look for something part-time. "I’m going to really miss the kids," she said.

An open house celebration is being held to honor Estabrook at the Teddy Bear Nursery on Saturday at 1 p.m. A flier for the event says, "Please join us for this ‘Teddy Bear Tea’ as we honor Pat Estabrook and her years of dedication and love to the children in this community.

Remember to bring your stories, memories, and smiles as we honor this special lady and celebrate her retirement."