Patricia Ann Stelmach

A celebration of life memorial service for Patricia will be held Friday, December 29, 2023 at 3:00 PM at Unity on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, MO 64112.

Patricia Ann Scherrer Stelmach, 99, Kansas City, Missouri, died Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Born in Moline, IL, she lived in various places before moving to Kansas City, MO at age 8. A memorial service will be held on December 29, 2023 at 3:00 PM, in the sanctuary at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 West 47th Street. Starting at 2:00 PM, the family will receive visitors in the Narthex of the church. Patricia is survived by three children and six grandchildren: son Christopher and children Rachel and Anna Stelmach (Alex Ball); daughter Cheryl Beaver (David) and children Sarah York (Jason), Tyler (Jobetta), Kathryn Hayes (Colin), and Thomas; and son Jeffrey (Dan). She is survived by five great-grandchildren, Harper and Calvin York, Miriam and Elena Beaver, and Henry Ball. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Jack Stelmach, her parents Fred and Norma Scherrer; and her sister, Beverly McDerment.

Patricia, known to her friends as “Pat”, graduated a year early from Southwest High School in Kansas City, MO in 1941. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, majoring in Bacteriology. While at KU, Pat was a member of the Xi Chapter of Sigma Kappa sorority, serving as collegiate president during her senior year. After graduating, Pat continued to be an active alumna, serving in various capacities at both the local and national level throughout her life, including roles as Treasurer for the Sigma Kappa Foundation and President of the Xi Chapter Corporation Board. She was pleased that her daughter and three granddaughters also joined Sigma Kappa.

She met her husband while working in a hospital lab at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Kansas City, KS. They wed on June 19, 1948 and were the first couple to be married at Unity Temple on the Plaza. Pat actively supported Jack in his various roles in the medical community throughout their marriage, including with the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. She was also active in the Missouri Medical Association Auxiliary.

Pat was an active member of the Kansas City philanthropic community, including serving as President of the Women’s City Club, President of the Women’s Committee for the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC, President of the Women’s Symphony Association and President of the Panhellenic Association of Greater Kansas City. Pat had a lifelong interest in classical music which drove many of her philanthropic efforts. She also was a Sunday School teacher at Unity Temple on the Plaza for many years.

A voracious reader, Pat could be found most mornings devouring a newspaper before moving on to other periodicals. She also had a passion for mysteries having read all of the classics and contemporary takes on the genre. She was known for solving the puzzle at many a murder mystery dinner and was considered a connoisseur of “whodunits” by her family.

Pat was a formative figure for her grandchildren, who affectionately called her Grammy. She took delight in planning activities she thought her grandchildren would enjoy, including visiting museums, decorating her house for various holidays, and trips to the City Market. She also encouraged a love of reading, whether loaning them books from her library or reading the comics with them on Sunday morning.

Pat enjoyed traveling with her husband, including throughout the US, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean. She particularly enjoyed finding treasures on her travels.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Sigma Kappa Foundation for the Patricia Scherrer Stelmach Memorial Scholarship for Xi Members or to the Women’s Committee for the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC for the Women’s Committee / Walter Jack Stelmach, M.D. and Patricia Stelmach Violin Scholarship. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com.