Patricia C. ‘Patty’ Waldman, children’s advocate with Maryland Legal Aid, dies

Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun
·4 min read

Patricia C. “Patty” Waldman, whose concern for abused, neglected and abandoned children led to a more than four-decade career as an attorney with Maryland Legal Aid, died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage March 28 at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. The Annapolis resident was 73.

“Patty was smart, committed and passionate when it came to working with children,” said Vicki Schultz, executive director of Maryland Legal Aid. “She was a quiet leader and highly effective. She was very committed and focused on the status of children, and was not only so dedicated to our mission but also to the growth of our staff.”

Amy Petkovsek, who rose to become Maryland Legal Aid’s deputy chief counsel, worked closely with Ms. Waldman, who spent the bulk of her career in its Prince George’s County office.

“When I came there I was a staff attorney and Patty became my mentor and we worked directly with each other,” said Ms. Petkovsek, who for the last year has been the executive director of the Community Law Center in Baltimore.

“She was a remarkable boss who saw the light in us that needed to stay lit in order to do the work that we did,” Ms. Petkovsek said. “We were working with children who had been sexually and physically abused and neglected. We saw horrific evidence and there were many hard moments, but she kept us going and doing it.”

Patricia Cox, daughter of Charles Hurley Cox, a Baltimore lawyer and a parliamentarian in the state House of Delegates, and Marie Cox, was born in Baltimore and spent her early years living near Herring Run Park, before moving with her family to a home on Bellona Avenue in Towson.

She was a graduate of Towson High School and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

While working as a junior clerk and page in the Maryland State House, Ms. Waldman earned her law degree in 1979 from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she was a member of the law review. Afterward, she clerked for a federal magistrate.

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“Patty was a person who really devoted her life to causes that helped people who had no voice, like little and adolescent kids,” said her husband of 43 years, Robert H. Waldman, a lawyer.

“Patty could have practiced anywhere and done anything, but she never wanted to do anything else. She wanted to represent kids and she loved being their representative. She wanted to work for people who couldn’t afford a lawyer,” Mr. Waldman said.

“She was a mentor to other folks who wanted to do this work — visiting kids and speaking up for them — and getting services and better placement for them,” Mr. Waldman said.

Ms. Waldman began her career in 1981 working in Legal Aid’s Baltimore office before joining the one in Prince George’s County.

“When you do this work, you are the voice of the child in the courtroom and you help them understand what is happening and that they have a say in their future. It’s an interesting and difficult role, but this is what Patty did,” Ms. Schultz said.

“You have to do your best for what that child wants and needs as their counsel so they can grow, and she was really great at that,” Ms. Schultz said.

“She exemplified that when she found this work as her calling. When she found this work, she found her home and never left.

“Patty had high standards, depth and knowledge. She set a high bar for the attorneys that worked with her because she knew our clients deserve no less.”

In the courtroom, Ms. Waldman knew how to seize the moment.

“Patty never shied away from emotion and sometimes would cry in closing arguments because of how deeply moving these cases are,” Ms. Petkovsek said. “It kept her spirit active and resilient when you witness children that have been raped and beaten, and as their lawyer, you’re part helping them get to a place where they feel safe.”

Ms. Waldman was still working at her death.

“She enjoyed collecting graphic art, and she ran an eclectic and colorful household, which was warm and comfortable,” her husband said.

Ms. Waldman enjoyed travel and with her family had visited Morocco, Italy, Thailand, France and Mexico, her husband said.

A celebration-of-life gathering will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 11 at the Eastport Democratic Club at 525 State St. in Annapolis.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Jeremy Waldman, of Annapolis; a daughter, Susannah Waldman, of Annapolis; a sister, Carole Tibbetts, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan; and many nieces and nephews.