Longtime Ravenna resident Patti Hicks’ memory will still still shine brightly on the corner of the Courthouse Lawn in front of the Portage County Courthouse on 203 West Main Street. The Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce officially commemorated her as the Honorary Way Recipient, renaming the street sign at the corner of the Courthouse lawn.
“She was a wealth of knowledge, and she knew everybody, and she just always gave back her time and her energy to the community so that is a blessing,” RACC Executive Director Ryann Cline told The Weekly Villager. “That is truly a blessing and to know her was to love her.”
As The Villager previously reported, Hicks was named as the newest Honorary Way Recipient in May. Although it had been close to a year since her passing, her impact has not been forgotten by the Ravenna community. Her name will stand on the corner of the Courthouse Lawn for six months before a new Honorary Way honoree is announced.
A large crowd gathered in attendance for the official unveiling on Saturday afternoon, including her husband Duane, son Michael and daughter Brittany.
Cline welcomed everyone who was in attendance before offering a few brief glowing remarks about Hicks, who she had come to know quite well due to her time working as a secretary for the RACC.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Patti probably for eight or nine years and she was absolutely an amazing person and always wanted to be a part of everything, so it is truly an honor to recognize Patti Hicks as the next Honorary Way recipient,” she noted. “Patti was a lifelong resident; she was a strong supporter of many organizations in Ravenna.”
Cline lauded Hicks for her active participation in several local organizations including the Balloon-A-Fair, the Ravenna Rotary Club and the RACC.
According to Cline, Hicks and her husband Duane always strived to make Ravenna a better place, making her more than deserving to be named as the newest honoree.
Mayor Frank Seman also spoke highly of Hicks’ impact in the community, including her role as a Trustee of the Balloon-A-Fair.
“I find it very interesting and a good thing that we are doing this honor at this time of year, with the Balloon-A-Fair not too far down the way. When the Balloon-A-Fair is on, stop by and look inside and know that she is there looking after you,” he said.
Duane then talked about how one of the first conversations they had when he completed his military service was how she wanted to stay close to her parents, so they moved to Ravenna, which was her hometown.
He talked about how active Hicks was in the community, from volunteering her services at Willyard Elementary School, the annual Ravenna Rocks Summer Concert, and at the Shepherd’s House of Portage County Homeless Shelter.
“The same thing with the high school, we always went to all of their fundraising events to help out. She always told me what a great town it is and it is really an undersold city because there are so many great people in this town,” Duane said.
Hicks’ son Michael talked about how his mother always demonstrated her pride in being a citizen of Ravenna.
“Mom was definitely a leader in the community, and she showed what it meant to be a citizen of Ravenna to give back and volunteer,” he added. “She was a great example of that. I see everybody here was always out there for stuff and felt that. So I appreciate everybody coming out. She is definitely looking down on us today and looking at everybody that she had an impact on.”
After the remarks, Cline officially unveiled the new street sign on the corner of the Courthouse Lawn, which now reads in Hicks’ honor.
