Patricia A. Michael

(19 March 1933 – 8 February 2015)

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister.

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the life of Patricia Ann Michael. Mom was the cornerstone of our family. If everyone had a mother like ours, the world would be a much better place. We are forever grateful that we were born to Mom and Dad but today we’re thinking of Mom.

The Michael Family

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Pat was born March 19, 1933 in Grafton, West Virginia to Roma Utt. Pat and her sister Helen were raised in humble but loving circumstances by their hard-working mother. Although Mom didn’t like to talk about herself, we heard about her school life and friends, we learned she played basketball in high school and worked as a soda jerk (her term, not ours!) at the local drugstore. We heard of her pet cat, Pezerus, and of the chickens they raised. Mom graduated from Grafton High School in 1951. After graduation, Mom went to work at the local glass factory.

We recently discovered a box of photographs from Mom’s high school years. Even terribly afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, Mom could name the people in the pictures. Mom was smiling in the old pictures and smiled as we showed them to her 65 years later. In our time with Mom and now in our memories, Mom will always be smiling.

While working at the glass factory, Mom went on a double date. Dad, having recently been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, was the date of her friend! Despite not dating each other on that first encounter, the double date must have been a good one; Mom and Dad were married on 1 September, 1955. After marrying, Mom and Dad moved to Morgantown, West Virginia. While living in Morgantown, daughters Kimberlea and Tracy were born. In 1960, the Michael family moved to State College, Pennsylvania, where sons William and Jay were born.

Throughout our lives, Mom was a constant presence, volunteering at the kids' schools, driving to an endless number of activities and maintaining a wonderful home. She worked for many years at Lazarus and loved socializing with her coworkers and customers. On at least one occasion, Mom even coached a Little League practice when Dad couldn't make it! Mom was in a league of her own. Mom was an accomplished seamstress who could make anything that could be sewn. For many years she enjoyed working and the friendships she made at the Castleton Square Lazarus department store.

In their later years, Mom and Dad enjoyed visiting with friends and family and attending 19th Bombardment Group reunions treasuring the friendships they made. Mom and Dad were fervent fans of the Indianapolis Colts, holding season tickets since 1984.

At least one of her children wrongly thought that Mom and Dad had passed along their last life lessons years ago but Mom’s dignity as she lived with her disease was a demonstration of strength that would humble even the most proud. Dad’s dedication to Mom as her disease progressed was heartbreakingly heroic. In last months of their lives, our parents taught us a final lesson: Love conquers all.

We are humbled and thankful for the kindness of Mom’s friends, Barb, Donna, Joanne and Martha. Steadfastly true, these wonderful ladies were with Mom to the end, their friendship of more than forty years bridging time and illness.

We also thank the staff at the Meadow Brook Senior Living Memory Care Unit for their professional and loving care of Mom. We wish you could have known her when she was well.

Finally, we are comforted by the thought that Dad has met Mom in Heaven, both eternally released from infirmity and pain. Jesus speaks of Heaven saying, “In my Father’s house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” If we know our Dad, one of the rooms is now a sunroom with wicker furniture where Mom and Dad can finally sit together and watch the snow.

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Pat is survived by her sister, Helen (Tom) Limbers, daughters Kimberlea (John) Gray, Tracy (Ken) Hughes; sons William (Jean) and Jay (Kelly) Michael; 7 grandchildren Travis, Michael, Lauren, Hannah, Emily, Lindsay and Will; 2 great-grandchildren Blythe and Levi. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald "Jerry" Clem Michael, her mother, Roma and two children, Mark and Amy, both of whom died in infancy.

Visitation is from 11:00 AM to 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 19, 2015, at Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary, Indianapolis, IN. Funeral Services will immediately follow. Arrangements entrusted to Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary.