Patricia K. Leon (Carkner)

Valatie-Patricia K. Leon (Carkner), known to so many as a radiant light in every room she entered, passed peacefully from this world into the arms of her Lord and Savior on June 19, 2026. Born Patricia K. Knight, on November 7, 1956, in Albany, New York, to Frank Knight and Patricia Knight (Fyvie), she was raised in Nassau, NY, and spent the majority of her beloved life in East Greenbush and Castleton, NY. She was a woman of extraordinary warmth, faith, and generosity - a soul who left every person she met a little better for having known her.

Patricia is preceded in death by her father, Frank Knight, her mother, Patricia Knight (Fyvie), and many beloved grandparents. Among those she joins in heaven is her grandmother Martha Pasqualitti, who was far more than family to Patricia - she was her confidant and best friend for many years. Patricia is survived by her four siblings: Frank (affectionately known as "Cappy"), Chris, Cindy, and Erin, as well as a wide and devoted extended family of brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Her greatest joy in this life - as she herself would always be the first to say - was her children and grandchildren. She leaves behind five remarkable children: Richard (Mary), Jason (Lauren), Matthew, Amy (Ernie), that she welcomed into this world with Richard Carkner. She then welcomed her youngest daughter, Tricia, into the world with James Wood. Later chapters of her life took her to Florida, where she was briefly married and resided, before her heart called her back to New York to be close to her children once more. From her five children, she was blessed with five grandchildren: Ricky and Evangeline (Richard and Mary), Lexi and Brayden (Jason and Lauren), and Penny (Matthew and Stephanie). For the last cherished years of her life, Patricia lived with her daughters Amy and Tricia in Valatie, NY, and she was also deeply devoted to her two affectionately "adopted" grandsons, Cam and Isaac (Amy and Ernie), who brought her endless happiness toward the end of her life.

Patricia's life was a testament to her boundless drive, creativity, and love of learning. A graduate of Columbia High School in East Greenbush, she went on to pursue an Associate's degree in Psychology and was working toward her Bachelor's degree. Her career was as colorful and varied as the woman herself. In her early years, she channeled her remarkable creativity into "Carkner Creations," a beloved home business where she crafted stunning wedding cakes, wedding gowns, prom dresses, and custom clothing for every occasion imaginable.

She later worked at Green Meadow, Goff, and Genet East Greenbush Schools, running after-school programs, and spent several rewarding years as a hall and lunch monitor at Columbia High School. While living in Florida, she earned her Water Operator certification through Veolia Water Company - an accomplishment she wore with quiet pride. But perhaps the role that brought her the most happiness was her career as a United States Postal Service mail carrier, working out of the West Sand Lake post office until her retirement. Her customers adored her, and she adored them right back, going above and beyond in ways that inspired an outpouring of gifts, cards, and heartfelt appreciation that stretched far beyond the holiday season. She loved being a mail carrier more than any job she had ever held.

In her later years, Patricia gave her heart fully to her Christian faith, and it became the cornerstone of everything she did. She was a devoted member of Faith and Love Fellowship in Rensselaer, NY, where she poured herself into leading and organizing the youth group, volunteering at soup kitchens and food pantry events, and welcoming young people from broken homes who had nowhere else to turn, giving them safety, love, and belonging. She collected bottles to return for change, which she used to support the homeless and less fortunate. She walked the streets with her youth group, sharing pamphlets and speaking to anyone who would listen about God's love. She also loved visiting Pastor Charlie at Victory Christian Church in Albany, and there was no sight quite like Patricia riding in the "Jesus Ambulance," spreading the word of God on a loudspeaker through the streets of Albany. Her daughter may have covered her face a time or two - but Patricia never wavered. "Everyone has to know God's love," she would say with a smile that could light up the sky.

Patricia was, in the most beautiful sense of the word, larger than life. She lit up every room she walked into. She could make a lifelong friend in under two minutes, and she had a contagious smile that made it impossible not to smile back. Those who loved her reached for words like bright, glowing, and radiant - and still felt they fell short. She loved hiking and climbing waterfalls, collecting rocks and crystals (and could rarely pass a store without finding "the special one" she simply had to have), going fishing with her grandchildren, and visiting the bird sanctuary in Chatham, NY. She helped countless people through their darkest moments without ever once passing judgment.

To her grandchildren, she was known by two precious names: "Sunshine Grandma" and "Banana Grandma." The origin of "Banana Grandma" remains one of the great mysteries of family lore - whether it came from her constant insistence that bananas were good for you, or simply from the fact that she was, by her own cheerful admission, a little bit bananas herself. There is, however, a competing and very compelling theory: that she once produced a banana from her mail truck and handed it to her grandson Ricky, and the legend was born right there. Wherever it came from, it fit her perfectly.

Patricia touched the lives of everyone she met. She gave her time, her energy, the shirt off her back, and every corner of her heart - to her children, her grandchildren, her community, her church, and to strangers who became family. She leaves behind an extensive and far-reaching network of family and friends who will carry her warmth with them for the rest of their lives.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 from 4-6pm at the W.J. Lyons, Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Avenue, Rensselaer. A memorial service will follow at the funeral home at 6pm.

Memorial contributions may be made in Patricia's memory to the Faith and Love Fellowship Outreach Center, 85 Washington Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144.

She is home now, shining down on us.