Patricia Ann Shearer

Pat was born in the small town of Runnells, Iowa, the first daughter of Ione Marguerite and Watt D. Ridgeway. As an adult, Pat lived all over the Midwest and Southern United States. She traveled to Europe many times, loving the history, architecture and art. Pat started out to be an artist and her development and drawing of a picture won a local contest in Iowa for railroad safety. She left Drake University to marry Robert Paul Shearer in 1952. Together they moved around following Bob’s career and raised two daughters, Jan and Julie. Pat was adept in the fine skill of making and keeping friends. People loved her candor and wry wit. Pat was an artist her entire life. She owned The Ada Greenery from 1972 to 2000, a florist shop in Ada, Michigan. She also did interior design work for her friends, and her home was always beautiful and comfortable. She loved genealogy, and spent hours doing research on her family history. She had a good sense of humor and liked to play games, especially Bridge. Her cooking skills were top of the line, and she loved to entertain. Christmas in the Shearer household was always special, with beautiful decorations and hundreds of cookies. She seemed to have an uncanny knack in gifting her children with gifts they did not know they wanted until they had them. Pat was brave and hopeful until the end, when she died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Pat is survived by brother David W. Ridgeway and family, her two daughters and son in law, James Gehling, and five grandchildren, Andrew (Julia Mattison) Gehling, Patrick (Courtney) Gehling, Maren (Jesse) Creed, William “Hub” Gehling, and Connor (Aubrey Sheldon) Gehling; two great-grandchildren, Anne Kelly Gehling, and August Kent Gehling; and special friends Warren “Pat” Patterson, Louis and Mary Ellen Boonenberg, and Caroline Barthelmess. At her request, there will be a party. She knew how to laugh and cry and live a life well loved. Gifts of remembrance can be made in Pat’s name to St. Jude’s Children Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105