Patrice Campbell developed her business acumen at an early age by observing her parents, John and Rebecca, who owned and operated Radu’s Uncommon Tavern in Lakewood for over 40 years. As a child, she spent a great deal of time at her parents' business where her father counted many Saint Ignatius family members among his clientele…and they admired him and respected his counsel. Today Patrice is the Administrator and President of EnnisCourt Skilled Nursing Care and Assisted Living in Lakewood.
Patrice has clearly inherited her father’s charisma, which is evident when she talks about two things close to her heart, EnnisCourt and Saint Ignatius High School.
Patrice’s eyes sparkle when she talks about Saint Ignatius. She loves the Jesuit high school that her late husband Owen “Pat” Campbell ’60 attended. She loves how the Saint Ignatius students who work at her Lakewood facility treat the residents with kindness and respect. She loves how the Saint Ignatius boys embody being Men for Others. Patrice's fondness for the school increased after she attended a SPA retreat (Spirituality Program for Adults), not once, but twice.
When EnnisCourt family member Sharon Abel reached out to Patrice and encouraged her to attend the SPA retreat, Patrice said she didn’t have time. She works seven days a week. But Sharon was persistent, telling Patrice that SPA would be life-changing, and convinced her to give it a try. "She was absolutely right," says Patrice. “The first day was eye-opening for me, there was so much to learn. It was such a wonderful experience,” she explains. She was exposed to the Examen, Ignatian Spirituality, the Suscipe Prayer and more. It's fair to say that what she learned while attending the SPA retreat affected the way she runs EnnisCourt.
After her husband's sudden death in 2000, Patrice made the decision to assume the responsibilities of operating EnnisCourt. To honor his memory, she continued to operate it as he had for the first few years. Over time Patrice wanted to care not only for the residents but for their families, as well. Patrice turned EnnisCourt into a “home” for her residents, a place where people could feel loved and cared for, where their families could not only visit 24/7 but also attend daily Mass and share meals with family members. Patrice wants her residents to live their best lives at EnnisCourt. She made changes and saw the positive effect the changes had on residents and their families. Taking care of the whole family was groundbreaking at the time; to Patrice, the family was a vital part of the equation. She found inspiration in the example of her mother, affectionately referred to at EnnisCourt as “Mother Becky”. She calls her mother “a magnificent, extraordinary caregiver” who took care of Patrice’s dad when he had Parkinson's Disease.
EnnisCourt has evolved into a ministry for Patrice. She believes she is doing God’s work by providing the best possible place for residents to live. What happens there is powerful. It truly is like being home. Residents can decorate their rooms as they would their home and the entire building is beautifully decorated and appointed year-round as well as seasonally. Patrice knows everyone, the residents and their families. Some of her residents were friends with her parents. It’s a literal ‘Who’s Who' of the Irish Catholic community, although you don’t need to be either to live there.
One person who has experienced this magic first-hand is Saint Ignatius Campus Minister Michael Tracy, whose father was a resident at EnnisCourt for eight years. “Patrice understood something about my father, who was a devout, practicing Catholic his whole life, that few senior living facilities understand. The core of his being was his spiritual life, and Patrice and the good people of EnnisCourt generously fed my father’s spiritual life,” Tracy says. "Even before Patrice made the Spiritual Exercises, she was already a practitioner of Cura personalis, the Jesuit principle of getting to know a person and focusing on the care of that individual. This is how Patrice lives every day, and I think Jesuit spirituality has given meaning and spiritual strength to Patrice in the demanding work that she does on a daily basis at EnnisCourt."
Patrice quickly discovered that many of her residents were part of the Saint Ignatius community. Many are either alumni, married to alumni or otherwise related. Several Jesuits have done skilled rehab at EnnisCourt after surgery or illness. And through those Saint Ignatius connections she became acquainted with the annual
Saint Ignatius Christmas Concert at Severance Center. When she first heard about the spectacular holiday event she thought it might be a thoughtful Christmas present to take a few friends and members of her staff. Although Patrice enjoyed the Cleveland Orchestra, she hadn’t been to a concert at Severance Hall since she was in fourth grade. So she started taking a few friends to dinner and the performance. As the years progressed, so did her commitment to this annual fundraiser which directly supports tuition assistance. With support at the level of Presenting Sponsor and President’s Circle Table Sponsor, this has become her primary vehicle for donating to the school. Patrice's guest list now includes upwards of 60 people – resident families, friends, staff members and religious. "I think people want to remain friends with me in the hopes that I will invite them to the Christmas Concert," she laughs. "Everyone tells me it's the highlight of the holiday season."
Through the Christmas Concert, Patrice was introduced to Rev. Raymond P. Guiao, ’82 S.J. and her relationship with the school president grew. But when Fr. Guiao called her in 2020 and told her she was to be the next recipient of the
Magis Award, she adamantly declined. She wasn’t an alumna, she didn’t have any buildings named after her, she simply ran EnnisCourt. Why should she get the award, she wondered. Fr. Guiao told Patrice that, although she didn't know it, her presence at Saint Ignatius High School was clearly and evidently felt by students, their families, faculty members, and Jesuits. Father said he had been discerning this, and Patrice countered that she was discerning as well.
After weeks of mutual discernment, Patrice humbly agreed to receive the award, becoming the first woman to receive it on her own merit. In her acceptance speech before the audience assembled at Severance Center for the
Magis Award presentation, Patrice reflected, “I believe with all my heart that I am right here where God wants me to be, doing God’s work.”
“Patrice is a great example of a person profoundly formed by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola," says Fr. Guiao. "Her relationship with and faith in Jesus Christ through the Exercises inspires her to devote herself to the loving care of others. And her experience of the Exercises also guides her to discern each day what God wants of her and for her” he says.
"
Magis is a Jesuit ideal of challenging ourselves to push past complacency and mediocrity to strive for greater generosity and service to God and neighbor," says Tracy. "Patrice is a model of a contemporary business leader and health care leader who strives to keep faith at the heart of all that she does."
Supporting scholarships for Saint Ignatius students and making a Saint Ignatius education affordable to those that would like to attend is important to Patrice. She has witnessed firsthand what a Saint Ignatius education can do for a young man. Patrice observes that there is a difference in the young men from Saint Ignatius that she doesn’t see in others. Her belief is that Ignatian Spirituality is a big part of it. Patrice explains that after having at least 25 Wildcats from Saint Ignatius work at EnnisCourt over the past 24 years, she notices a difference in our students. “Men for Others, the service component is huge and I see that in action,” Patrice explains. “I want to make sure that continues and that kids that want a Saint Ignatius education can get it. When you see what most of the kids have gone on to do after leaving Saint Ignatius, it’s amazing. Some of our very, very best workers are from Saint Ignatius. I see how they relate to residents. There is just a difference. If you want them to continue and for kids to have that opportunity, the best thing that I can do is to provide financial support to that scholarship component and endowment and make sure it continues,” says Patrice. Because tuition assistance is so important to her, she has an estate plan in place to provide for tuition assistance in the future.
One of her favorite stories to tell involves Matthew Borden ’18. Patrice’s face lights up when she refers to Matthew as “the best employee I have ever had." Matthew's grandparents, Sheila and Jerry (deceased) Becker were friends of Patrice and her parents, and were among the many Radu's patrons from the Saint Ignatius community. Patrice and Matthew have often talked about the grandfather that Matthew never knew. To Patrice, Matthew epitomizes what a Saint Ignatius student strives to be. He is hard-working, kind, and courteous, and he strives for excellence in everything he does. When he was given the additional responsibility of making breakfast for the Assisted Living residents, (eggs to order), he purchased two dozen eggs and practiced making different types of eggs at home. He wanted the eggs to be perfect when he made them for the residents. Truly A Man for Others, Borden has high praise for his former boss. “Patrice Campbell lives to serve others. She quite literally embodies every one of the Corporal Works of Mercy through her dedicated career and through her countless acts of charity. Mrs. Campbell fiercely recognizes the dignity in everyone,” says the 2022 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, whom Patrice visited in South Bend, Indiana with his mother, Catherine Borden. Matthew is currently a surveyor for Coastal Energy Group, performing environmental surveys around the world.
Two things that bring Patrice great joy are purchasing Saint Ignatius raffle tickets (all of them from each student employee) and the Cat-o'-Tonics. The a capella group's director, Mr. David Croglio, says their yearly December performance at EnnisCourt is the highlight of their season. "We really roll out the red carpet for the Cat-o'-Tonics," says Patrice. "They are an extraordinary group of talented young men who embody everything that Saint Ignatius High School stands for. We hire many musical acts to entertain the residents of EnnisCourt, and the 'Tonics are the hands-down favorite."
Talk to anyone who has interacted with Patrice and they will speak about her in loving terms. Cathy Lanning Knittel (widow of Greg Knittel ’67) calls her “a woman for others.” She adds, “She is literally the servant of those under her care and requires that same service mindset and heart of her staff as well. But the real gift she has is the respect and dignity she offers to her residents at the most vulnerable and often most frightening times of their lives. It is incredible. It is so genuine and authentic.” Cathy, whose mother spent her final years at EnnisCourt, continues: "I read a quote recently about the Prayer for Generosity that really hit me: 'A prayer for generosity is a prayer to lose yourself and find yourself again in Christ.' I see in Patrice Campbell a real witness of what it means to be Christ-like; it is as simple and yet as profound as that." Kevin M. Hinkel ’73 agrees. "On a daily basis, Patrice lives the Ignatian Prayer of Generosity as she ignores the cost, the toils or weariness, as day in and day out she does our Lord’s work for those in her care." Kevin's father spent his final years at EnnisCourt. "I had a front row seat to witness Patrice’s vocation to provide residents with the highest quality of life that their elderly life challenges allowed them to have. On a daily basis, Patrice always pursues the
Magis."
Patrice's love of Saint Ignatius High School and its mission of forming Men for Others goes hand-in-hand with her ministry at EnnisCourt – an apostolate of care, caring and compassion. And her commitment to both is as strong as her belief that she is right where God wants her to be – doing God's work.
This story was originally printed in the Saint Ignatius 2023-24 Advancement Review issue.