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Life story

" Patrica Lynne Rayfield, A resident of Wynnewood Pa and a retired librarian with Lower Merion Township, entered in to eternal rest on March 27th 2026 at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr Pa.. She was 79 years old and she had been originally hospitalized at Lakenau Hospital since the beginning of March. Ms Rayfield was battling Parkinson's disease and Macular Degeneration at the time of her death. She died in hospice care at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Ms. Rayfield was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to the late Alvin and Elizabeth Welzel. She grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey. As a child she enjoyed vacationing in Avalon, New Jersey with her family. She graduated from Rutgers Preparatory school in the class of 1964. She attended Wagner College in New York graduating in the class of 1968. She attended Drexel University in Philadelphia Pa. graduating in the class of 1970 with a Masters Degree in Library Science. She worked at The Free Library of Philadelphia after graduating from Drexel University.

In 1973 she married the late Marvin Rayfield and they had a son, Joshua Rayfield in 1974. In 1975, they moved from Philadelphia Pa to Bala Cynwyd Pa. Ms. Rayfield worked in Mr. Rayfield's children's wear store in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia from the time that they got married in 1973 until 1986. They went on buying trips together for the store and they managed the store's day to day operations. They had a daughter during this time who died at birth. In 1978 they gave birth to a son Michael Rayfield. Ms Rayfield worked briefly for Mcmillian Publishing as a sales representative before going to work as a reference librarian for Lower Merion Township in 1986 at Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr Pa. She and Mr. Rayfield divorced in 1987 and Ms. Rayfield settled with her two sons in Haverford Pa. She met the late Dr. Arnold Goldman in 1987 and they married in 1996 on Christmas Eve at Dr. Goldman's home in Merion Station Pa. Ms Rayfield became the head of the reference department at Ludington Library in the early 1990's and she became the head of Belmont Hills Library in Belmont Hills Pa in 2000. She retired from Lower Merion Township in January of 2014.

Her husband, Dr. Arnold Goldman passed away in August of 2015. Marvin Rayfield passed away in August of 2013. Ms Rayfield moved to the Green hill Condominiums in Wynnewood Pa in 2016. At the Green hill, she enjoyed going on trips to Atlantic City and she enjoyed other various social activities that the Green hill had to offer. Her son Joshua, came to live with her in 2021. They were living together at the time of her death and he was her care giver. Ms. Rayfield was a cat lover who owned and took care of 3 cats during her lifetime who she loved and adored. Ms Rayfield used to paint pictures earlier in her life and at one time aspired to be an artist. Ms. Rayfield was a kind and generous and loving person to her family and to her friends and she is deeply missed by all of them.

Survivors include her son Joshua of Wynnewood Pa and her son Michael and his wife Kelly of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She is also survived by her older brother Robert Welzel of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and his wife Cathy. Also surviving her is her nephew Douglas Welzel of Scottsdale, Arizona and a niece, Marilyn Parmet of West Palm Beach, Florida and a nephew Robert Baylinson of Coral Springs, Florida. There was no funeral service. Ms. Rayfield donated her body to medical science. There will be a memorial service for her family and friends on a date yet to be announced. "