Patricia Ann Biermann (Pat or Patty), 87, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away quietly on Thursday, June 11, 2020, surrounded by her children and listening to stories of her life as colorfully recounted by her dear little brother, Mickey. Visitation will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Kansas City, Missouri (Meyer & Holmes), followed by a rosary at 6 p.m. A second visitation will be held on Saturday, June 27, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas (13th Street & Woodlawn), beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00. A funeral escort will lead those wishing to attend Mom’s burial to St. Mark’s Catholic Church cemetery in Colwich, Kansas, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband, Henry. Anyone unable to attend Mom’s services in person is welcome to watch her Mass of Christian Burial via St. Thomas Aquinas’s YouTube channel, where the service will be streamed live (click on "Join Livestream" in the Services section, below). Memorial donations may be made to the American Stroke Association or the Thomas P. O’Sullivan Foundation for the prevention of colon cancer.
Born March 20, 1933 in Kansas City, Missouri, Mom was the second child (of three) and sole daughter of Thomas Patrick, Jr. and Anna Marie O’Sullivan. Nursing was her vocation from an early age, and she focused her studies toward that end, earning bachelor degrees in nursing from, first, College of St. Teresa (now Avila University) and, second, Marquette University. She sold her beloved 1957 Ford Fairlane convertible so she could attend Columbia University in New York City, where she culminated her formal education with a Masters in Nursing Education in 1961. She worked as an Administrative Supervisor at Menorah Medical Center, but was contemplating life as a cruise ship nurse when she met an aspiring young doctor named Henry by way of the Kansas City Discussion Club. The two married at Christ the King Church a year later. They shared an appreciation for culture and the arts and enjoyed taking their children to cultural venues, such as the Smithsonian Institute, and local arts events, such as music theater, when their hectic schedule permitted. They enjoyed the outdoors as well, honeymooning in the Aspen Highlands and skiing, horseback riding, and sailing with their children as their family grew. One of Mom’s greatest joys was ballroom dancing with her husband of forty-three years.
Mom and Dad elected to start their family in Wichita, Kansas, where they first lived in a small apartment near St. Francis Hospital. Little did Dad know that he was marrying a “celebrity,” however, as Mom – already crowned “Miss Fire Prevention” at Menorah Medical Center – had just won the grand showcase on a then-new little game show called The Price Is Right. And little did either know that a year’s supply of frozen TV dinners – but a part of Mom’s winnings – would be delivered to their tiny abode mere days later. But Mom decided to turn her back on her newfound fame, and the two of them settled into building Dad’s medical practice and a family of five children.
Though Mom lost her favorite travel companion, Dad, in 2004, she caught the travel bug again late in life, enjoying many memorable vacations with her daughters, Patrice and Bernadette. St. Lucia – where Mom and Dad had volunteered at a local hospital some forty years earlier – was a favorite destination, and trips to Mexico and Europe, including a parish pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2010, created many wonderful memories.
Mom savored life’s simple pleasures. Though very private, she loved visiting with friends and family when the opportunity arose. She loved nature and was especially fond of cardinals, the deer she could see from her daughter’s back porch in Austin and, perhaps most of all, the roses Dad cut for her from their garden. She enjoyed poetry too - Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening was among her favorites – and it was not uncommon for her to greet you with some short but oh-so-original verse when taking her morning coffee. And Hallmark channel premieres? Well they were regarded with all the reverence of a royal wedding. She was one of our favorite historians, often amazing family and friends – yes…even her Facebook community – with her detailed recollection of Kansas City’s rich history.
Ask anyone who knew her, and we’ll wager they’ll say their fondest memories of Mom involve her consideration for others. Come to the house, and you’d find the front door unlocked (how times have changed) and your favorite snack in a kitchen corner. Leaving on a trip? Don’t be surprised if you found a sack lunch – replete with a hand-written note chronicling the date, time, and circumstances of your departure – waiting for you at the door. Rarely did anyone escape without a photo and an invitation to bless themselves (yes…their vehicle too) with holy water. And receiving a Catholic car medallion – blessed by the parish priest, no less – from Mom for your auto visor was like being knighted. Neighbors would swear she’d continued waving goodbye until you were well across the state line.
Mom’s passing was peaceful and quiet, but we like to think that – had she been able to speak – her last words would have been some of our favorites…”Bye now.” She is survived by her five children: Bernadette (Rick Wilson, deceased), Mark, Thomas, Patrice and Gregory Biermann; her grandson, Baron Biermann; her brother, Mickey (Linda) O’Sullivan, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her older brother, Thomas (Katy) O’Sullivan III; and her grandson, Heath Wilson.
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