Patrick Hye

Patrick John Hye was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on September 15, 1956 to Edwin and Kathleen (née O’Neill) Hye. He grew up in Englishtown, NJ and enlisted in the US Navy in 1974, serving as a helicopter rescue aircrewman and rescue swimmer until 1979. Following his separation from the Navy Pat married Suzanne Paulkovich in Lanham, MD and shortly thereafter began the years-long journey of building their home in Monroe Township, NJ. He started his contracting business, PJ Hye Construction, in 1980 and did mostly residential contracting on and off throughout his life. Outside of work, Pat and Suzanne enjoyed camping, canoeing, and scuba diving together and eventually welcomed their daughter, Karen, followed by their son, Michael four years later.

Early on, while raising kids, Pat primarily spent his time on the road as a long-haul chemical truck driver, putting over a million miles under his visor before transitioning back to full-time contracting in the early 2000s. Michael joined Pat in putting on the toolbelt by the time he was ten and later re-named the company to HyeTech Construction. They worked together for years and their final project was in early 2024 – a restaurant space for a beloved customer whose food he’d always raved about.

Pat encouraged Karen and Mike to enjoy (and revere) the water as much as he did, spending time boating, water-skiing, and tubing. The family especially enjoyed time in Calvert County, MD, at Matoaka Beach, a rustic Chesapeake Bay beach not far from Pat’s primary duty station, NAS Patuxent River. In Mike’s youth Pat was very involved in the Boy Scouts, later becoming Scoutmaster of Troop 54 in Jamesburg, NJ. The Scouts provided many opportunities for adventure and community service, including supporting Eagle projects; Pat pushed Mike to complete his Eagle requirements, becoming an Eagle Scout in 2010. His commitment to community service didn’t end with the Scouts; he was very involved with the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg – his church of attendance – and the connected Deacon’s Food Pantry.

In the early 2010s Pat had the opportunity to pivot his work to property management for a family on Martha’s Vineyard. For nearly four years Pat worked with a staff of young adults who left a lasting impact on him. He later went on to officiate the wedding of two of them and was always grateful and proud to keep in touch with them all and hear of their expanding lives. Between his work with the Boy Scouts and the guys who worked under him (for a day or for a decade) he was a mentor to many young men, with some of them referring to him as a “second father.” These relationships held great value to Pat, as well.

Pat was Karen’s number one cheerleader in her pursuit of secondary education – three graduate degrees and three cross-country moves later he continued to be in full-support. Karen’s education brought her to Washington State for a year in 2014 and when it became clear that this move was indefinite he came out at least biannually to camp, hike, explore, and experience the allure of the PNW…all while also doing work on Karen’s house. In 2022 Pat hopped in a rented RV to chauffeur Karen and her then-fiance, Dave, 7,500 miles over the course of 12 days moving back to NJ from WA. During their 18-month stint in NJ Pat enjoyed time down the shore with the kids; he especially loved Island Beach State Park. At the end of 2024, after 22 years together, Karen and Dave finally made it official with Pat at the helm as co-officiant.

Since the pandemic forced him to slow down with work a bit Pat was able to lean into other interests and hobbies with friends new and old. He was enjoying time in the hot rod community, including a bucket-list road trip with a good friend. He also connected with his Navy SAR community and was able to spend time reminiscing with other former rescue swimmers. Pat was a life-long NASCAR fan and added to his race roster in recent years. He was also filling up his National Park passport, seeking out opportunities to see new National Parks after beholding the splendor of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon; Karen and Dave will continue the quest.

In the last two years Pat was unfortunately diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and more recently, Lewy Body Dementia, both of which dramatically affected his quality of life. In the final six months of his life Pat and Mike were joined by Karen and Dave to provide full-time support and enjoy day-to-day quality time. Together with close family, many laughs, meals, stories, and cookies were shared. After a short, but very rapid decline, Pat ultimately transitioned on April 25, 2026, peacefully in his sleep.

Patrick was a man of many monikers – Pat, PJ, Paky, Paco, “uncle double meat” (for his pork roll sandwich order) – but his greatest pride was in being called “dad.” His children, and many of their peers, are deeply grateful for his support, sacrifice, feedback, and love. He will be profoundly missed.

Pat is survived by his two children, Karen and Michael Hye; his son-in-law, Dave Gsellmeyer (and beloved family); his 11-year-old grandson; his former spouse, Suzanne Hye; his siblings-in-law, Jane Paulkovich, Nancy Yannayon, and Michael Burk; his mother, Kathleen Hye; his feral dog, Sydney (and two perfect granddogs); nine of his siblings; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends.

There are no immediate services planned; a memorial will be scheduled at a later date with details to be provided once determined. If inclined, donations in his honor may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the National Park Foundation.