Patricia Ann Conway

Patricia Ann Conway died August 6, 2025 at Oakcrest Health Center in DeKalb, Illinois. She was born in San Diego, California, on August 6, 1940, to Ethel (Milton) and John J. Walsh. Her father, was a career Navy man, and was aboard the USS Reid in Pearl Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941. She was known to many as Pat, Patty or “Skip” (Short for “Skipper”), a nickname given to her by her father’s Reid shipmates still used by family and her old San Diego neighborhood friends. Pat graduated from La Jolla High School in 1958 and earned her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in 1971, with her children (and a streaker) in attendance.

Daughters Felicia and Erin were born during her first marriage to Patrick Wright. She started working at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California in dietary as a teenager and was later creating scientific illustrations for research papers when she met microbiologist Thomas Conway, who was working on a fellowship. They married in 1974. The Conways settled in DeKalb, Illinois in 1978, where they resided for the remainder of their lives. Tom was a biology professor at NIU, and Pat earned a master’s degree in history from the university in the 1980s.

She spent several years working in NIU’s Office of Research before joining the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research at U of I -- Chicago in 1986. There she helped faculty craft and submit grant applications. She commuted over four hours a day, developing lasting friendships with her fellow train riders. She retired as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research after 17 years of dedicated service.

After retirement Pat remained deeply involved in the DeKalb community, volunteering with numerous organizations. She was a member of Altrusa International for over 20 years, serving as DeKalb chapter president in 2005 and helping the organization secure several “Big Read” grants for book events featuring Fahrenheit 451 and To Kill a Mockingbird. She delighted in collecting bee-themed items for the chapter’s annual spelling bee—even though she herself was highly allergic to bee stings. Pat also volunteered at the Ellwood House Museum, where her husband Tom once served as Board President.

After retirement, Pat and Tom took many history courses at the Newberry Library in Chicago, including ones which involved trips to France, Germany and Vienna. Their travels also took them to Ireland for family weddings, Scotland to connect with maternal relatives, and annual trips to visit family and friends across the U.S. These included winters in Sarasota, Florida, December getaways to Carmel, California, and summer wine tasting and blueberry picking in Michigan. Together, they formed a circle of “food friends” who shared a love of gourmet meals and good company.

After Tom’s death in 2019 and the isolation of the pandemic, Pat decided to move into independent living at Oak Crest in 2023. Sadly, just three months later, she suffered a debilitating stroke that limited her speech and mobility. Yet even in illness, her wit and love of family shone through—she could still understand conversations and would often laugh loudly at shared stories and private jokes.

Pat is survived by her daughters, Felicia (Jeff) Korengel of San Luis Obispo, CA and Erin Celata of Pittsburgh, PA; her twin brothers, James and John Walsh; and grandchildren Emma and Spencer Korengel. She is also lovingly remembered by nieces, nephews, lifelong friends, and many extended cousins she connected with through genealogy research and travel.

A funeral mass will take place at St Brigid’s Parish at 11am on Tuesday, August 19, with burial following at 1pm at El Camino Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Altrusa International of DeKalb County IL, P.O. Box 47, Kirkland IL. 60146.