In loving memory of Patricia Kiernan “PK” Applegate, née Patricia Kiernan
December 27, 1952 – August 10, 2026
Patricia Kiernan “PK” Applegate, née Patricia Kiernan, died on August 10, 2026, in Santa Monica, California. She was born on December 27, 1952, in Malden, Massachusetts.
Born and raised in Malden, Patty spent her early years at the family home on Gordon Street.
Her father was a lifelong fireman with the Medford Fire Department in Massachusetts, and her mother worked as an administrative assistant for a local doctor.
She attended Beebe Junior High School and went on to Malden High School, where she graduated as valedictorian in 1970.
Patty’s academic accomplishments continued at Colgate University, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1974. She later earned a Master’s in Finance from New York University in 1978.
Her studies also reflected a lasting interest in French literature, an interest that remained an important part of her life for many years.
After receiving her master’s degree from NYU in 1978, Patty began her professional career in New York City as a CPA with Peat Marwick Mitchell, where she specialized in expatriate taxation.
In 1984, she left the firm and established a sole practice serving individuals in the Bay Area.
Her work reflected the strong academic foundation and professional discipline that marked her life from an early age.
Patty was the mother of two daughters, Gabby and Sofie, both of whom live in Southern California. Sofie and Gabby spent their early years in the Bay Area and attended Trinity School in Menlo Park.
They later attended middle school in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and continued their education at Torrey Pines and Concord Academy in Los Angeles.
Gabby graduated from Syracuse University, and Sofie attended Mills College in Oakland.
A central part of Patty’s life was the support she gave to her daughters.
She was an avid supporter of their equestrian activities and could often be found cheering them on at local and national competitions.
She loved her daughters passionately, and that devotion was a defining part of her life.
Patty also maintained a lifelong love of France and French culture.
A self-described Francophile, she returned to France many times over the years to visit and live with her adopted family, Josette and Gile Maillet.
That connection grew from her college studies in French literature and remained an enduring thread throughout her life.
She also had two sisters, Jeannie and Nancy, both of whom died before her. Her brother, John, survives her and works for Citgo in Texas.
Patricia Kiernan “PK” Applegate will be remembered in the many places that shaped her life: Malden, where her gifts first became evident; New York, where her professional career began; the Bay Area, where she built her own practice; and California, where much of her family life centered.
Her life was marked by scholarship, professional accomplishment, steadfast support for her daughters, and a lasting attachment to the people and places she held close.
