Patricia L. Schuster

06/02/1930 – 11/15/2014

Patricia (nee McCanney) passed away peacefully at home in Golden on Saturday, November 15. Pat was born in Minneapolis, the first child of Francis and Loretta McCanney. She was followed by siblings Thomas McCanney, Robert McCanney. Carol (McCanney) Beaulieu, and Sandy (McCanney) Lebak. Pat grew up with her close family in Minneapolis, attending parochial schools.

In 1951, she joined Northwest Orient Airlines as a flight attendant, based first in Minneapolis and then in Seattle. Her flights reached much of the northwestern United States and international destinations. In March 1954, Pat met Bob Schuster, a passenger on a Seattle-Chicago flight. Northwest flight attendants were discouraged from dating passengers, but Pat made a happy exception. They married in February 1955.

After marrying, Pat accompanied her husband to Purdue University where they spent 5 years and where 4 children, Anne (Schuster) Pinard, Kathleen Schuster, Mark Schuster, and Richard Schuster, were born. Anne now lives in Palouse, WA, the others in the Denver area.

Pat always loved her home with her husband and children. She was a student wife at Purdue and the University of London, and a faculty wife at Purdue, the University of Colorado, and the University of Idaho. In 1974, the Schuster family moved to Golden where Bob joined the USGS as a research geologist. For 40 years Pat happily supported him in his frequent professional travels.

She was an avid reader, who also enjoyed travel with her husband throughout the U.S. and to many foreign countries. She especially appreciated numerous trips to Europe, and to England and Ireland where she visited the sites of some of her favorite novels.

This summer, Pat cruised the Rhine-Danube Rivers with her husband and then drove with him to Scottsdale, AZ, with side trips to the Grand Canyon and to view the fall colors aboard the Durango–Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway. Two weeks ago they flew to Vancouver, B.C., to a professional conference where she visited with many old friends. She very much enjoyed these recent ventures, and we are pleased that she was able to undertake them.

Pat and Bob were happily married for 60 years. She was a very gracious and loving wife who found great pleasure in her 4 children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. She was easy to get along with, had a great personality, and was loved by all who knew her. We will miss her terribly!

For her entire life, Pat was active in the Catholic Church. We welcome all to a funeral mass followed by a luncheon reception that will be held in Pat’s honor at St. Joseph’s Church, 969 Ulysses Street, Golden, on Saturday, November 22 at 10:00 am.

Flower Deliveries should be made directly to St. Joseph's Church.

Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Woods Chapel, Golden, CO.