It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Patricia “Pat” Root Carnell, the founding president of the Irving Healthcare Foundation, who passed away on June 14, 2025.

Pat served as president from 1978 to 2000, a remarkable tenure during which she and her dedicated team raised more than $18.4 million to support the healthcare needs of our community. Pat’s leadership, vision, and tireless spirit laid the groundwork for decades of impactful philanthropy.

Among her many accomplishments, Pat created TexasFest, the foundation’s signature gala event. Her passion for community engagement brought together hundreds of volunteers year after year to celebrate and support our hospital’s mission to enable people to live well. Thanks to her efforts, TexasFest raised more than $11 million between 1980 and 2021.

A nationally recognized leader in healthcare philanthropy, Pat was deeply involved with the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), a global organization of more than 5,000 hospital fundraising professionals. In 2000, she received AHP’s highest honor, the Si Seymour Award, recognizing both her professional achievements and her volunteer contributions to the field.

Even in retirement, Pat continued to shape the future of the foundation she built. She served on the Irving Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors, offering her wisdom and support to current president John Drake, especially during his early years in Irving. Pat knew the foundation’s story intimately—because she authored its first chapters.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat’s family, friends, and all those she inspired throughout her extraordinary life. Her legacy will live on through the lives she touched and the enduring impact of her work.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations can be made to Baylor Scott & White Irving Foundation: