Pat Sawilowsky

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Patricia Audrey "Pat" Sawilowsky (née Ram) was a respected community leader and volunteer. Born December 29, 1930, she died September 29, 2014. She served as president of the National Ladies Auxiliary of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States and held leadership roles in many other service and charitable groups. She was the mother of Norma Cahen and Shlomo Sawilowsky; her husband, Jacob "Jack" Sawilowsky (1930–1980), also led local groups.

Pat Sawilowsky’s work spanned many organizations. In Aiken, South Carolina she led the Jaycees Women’s Auxiliary and served as state JCetts president in 1964. In St. Petersburg, Florida she joined Toastmistress (now POWERtalk) in 1969 and rose to local chapter president, 1st Council area president, and Sunshine Region president (1978–1979), plus international convention chair in 1988, winning several speech contests along the way. She was named Woman of the Year by the St. Petersburg ABWA in 1977 and received JWV Auxiliary Florida Chapter medals (1993–1997), later being honored as the Florida Chapter Woman of Valor in 2002. She also led the JWV Broward/Palm Beach County Ladies Auxiliary (2002–2003) and served on the National Association of Parliamentarians in Plantation, Florida. As executive director of the National Foundation of the March of Dimes in St. Petersburg and later the American Heart Association chapters in St. Petersburg and Fort Lauderdale, she helped raise millions for charity. In retirement she served as a District Director for AARP.