In Loving Memory of Dr. Pat

Dr. Patrick J Colletti, beloved pediatrician, wild horse advocate, raptor rehabilitator, English setter rescuer, heritage apple farmer, and our father died on January 30, 2025 after a long battle with kidney disease. He was 77.

Dr. Pat was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Reno, NV in 1947. He grew up in Virginia City. When his father Shorty Harper died, he was adopted by Ed and Florence Colletti. He went on to become valedictorian of his high school as well as part of their record-breaking basketball team, winning several state championships. He married Cherlyn Talcott while in college, graduated from UNR and became one of the members of the inaugural class of the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Following multiple years in the Navy practicing as a pediatrician and starting a family, he returned to Reno in 1984 and built his own private practice. He adopted daughter Sophia in 2007. He took care of the smallest members of our community until 2019 when he retired.

His staff universally adored him, even when he stole their lunches or ate crumbly cookies over their heads! Not only was he highly respected by all physicians as a brilliant diagnostician but his patients loved him for his kindness and his passion for helping children. Dr. Pat was a fierce advocate for his patients, frequently going out of his way to personally call specialists, insurance companies, teachers and principals to make sure they were appropriately cared for. That’s probably why so many ended up bringing their own children back to the office to see him when they became parents!

In addition to serving our community as a pediatrician, Dr. Pat always had a hobby. He was happiest when his prodigious intellect was kept busy. He coached his son Evan in little league and created a travel team “to keep him out of trouble.” (Go Spartans!) He collected coins. He tinkered with old Jeeps. He loved everything Tolkien along with folk songs by the Kingston Trio, Celtic music, hard apple cider and Kilkenny ale! And of course he was a sailor. He navigated every inlet of Lake Tahoe and Puget Sound with his friends and family over the years. We also all benefited from his apple orchard, his extensive knowledge about caring for wild animals as well as his beloved dogs, the massive amount of cherries that he gave away every year: there really wasn’t a subject he didn’t know something about.

If you met Pat Colletti, you had a friend. He is survived by his children Krista (Rick Gonzalez), Evan (Kelly), and Sophia (Tomas Anthony), and his grandchildren Esme, Tegan, Addie, Lizzie, Bryan, and Asher. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Florence Colletti, his sister Joanna and brothers Jim, Bill and Mike Harper. In lieu of flowers, please take your dogs on a hike in the Virginia Range. If you see a red tail hawk overhead, say hi to Dr. Pat!