Patricia Ann Lutz, 92, was welcomed into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday evening, October 5, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was born January 7, 1933, in Millersburg Village, Ohio, to Ernest C and Hazel L Neff.
Patricia’s family moved to Loudonville, Ohio, where she graduated from high school. On the recommendation of the local bank president, she went on to attend nursing school after working at the local Ben Franklin and at a local bank.
She met her husband Philip, from Jeromesville, Ohio, at the Methodist church camp. When he was 15 and she was 17, he was convinced she was the only wife for him. She made him wait for some time, but they were married February 19, 1956, after she graduated from Cincinnati School of Nursing.
Patricia worked as a nurse for her entire career at hospitals in Ashland, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; San Jose and Los Gatos, California. She held positions in ICU/CCU, surgical floors, emergency room, hospital supervisor, and pediatrics, retiring from Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
Patricia was a believer in Jesus Christ as her personal Savior from an early age. She served as a Sunday School teacher, Camp Counselor while at Missionary Baptist in Carlisle, Iowa, headed the Ladies Missionary Fellowship at Sunrise Valley Baptist Church in San Jose, California, and served on the Missions Committee at Ankeny Baptist Church. Patricia was a gifted musician who used the talents God gave her as a choir member, soloist, choir director, and church pianist for many years.
She was an artist, often painting the nativity scene on the picture window of their family’s home in December. Patricia was also a prolific writer of poetry, composing poems for major holidays such as Christmas and Easter yearly as well as personal poems for her children and for each grandchild until they were at least 18.
She was a long-time member of Ankeny Baptist Church, only excluding the years when her husband Philip pastored Goshen Baptist Church in Derby, Iowa. She resided in Ankeny since 1980 until moving in with her daughter, Corrine, near Easter Lake in Des Moines last year.
Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, Philip N Lutz; daughter, Cynthia Boyd; parents, Ernest and Hazel Neff; father and mother-in-law, Robert and Flo Lutz; two brothers, Robert and James, her sisters Dorothy Frazier, and Ernestine Neff, and brother- and sister-in-law Lowell and Sharon Lutz.
Patricia is survived by her daughters Cheryl (Wayne) Grady of Hamilton, OH, Corrine (Ray) Rothfus of Des Moines, IA, and Debbie (Richard) Bayley of Colorado Springs, CO, son-in-law David (Jane) Boyd of Cincinnati, OH; grandchildren Daniel Boyd, Stephen (Laura) Boyd, Abigail Boyd, David Boyd, Michael (Megan) Boyd, Mary Boyd, Jonathan Grady, Stephanie (Michael) Nocella, Patrick (Krista) Grady, Andrew (Ashley) Grady, Anne (Travis) Yossett and Jennie Edwards, and Patricia (Ken) Jensen, great-grandchildren, Ethan and Evangeline Boyd, Cynthea, Grayson, Lochlan, and Tristan Nocella, Moxie and Oren Grady, Bailey Paskert, Asher and Jackson Yossett, Annie and Nathan Jensen. Patricia is also survived by her sister Barbara Stevens, many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Patricia’s funeral service will
Patricia’s funeral service will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, 12:00 p.m. at Ankeny Baptist Church, 2842 SW Third St. Place, Ankeny, IA 50023, with visitation prior, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Graveside service is at 9:30 a.m. on October 21, at Jeromesville Cemetery, Jeromesville, OH.
Memorials may be made to Ankeny Baptist Church Missions Fund and Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary. Online condolences are welcome at www.ankenyfuneralhome.com
Arrangements by Ankeny Funeral Home
