Patricia Elaine Anthony

God chose to take Patricia Elaine Anthony into his arms on Friday, 7/17/2026. Patricia, or "Pat" as she liked to be called, grew up and went to school in Grandville, Michigan. She went onto Michigan Technological University in Houghton, was a 1967 graduate, being the first woman to ever graduate in electrical engineering from that school. She was honored in 2017 (her 50th anniversary) with a special awards ceremony at the MTU's graduation ceremony. She was hired directly from school by IBM and worked there for 20 years. But she didn't retire; she instead worked a number of assorted engineering companies, including AT&T.

She travelled the world, from South America and Mexico to China and Japan, to Europe, usually with her sister, Chris, or her parents, Orma and Roy VanDam. She was an advocate for all sports, from the common ones like baseball to basketball and football, to even dog shows and kid's spelling bees. If there was competition, she'd follow it. Never much of an athlete herself, she loved to cheer on others in her life, especially the young people, giving them the support they needed to continue their pursuits. One of her favorite things to do in the past few years was flying helicopters with her sister, Chris and Chris's husband, Dave. Her last wish was to go skydiving on her birthday, scheduled for this next month, August 29, 2026.

She was a wonderful, joyous person who throughout her life did all she could to help others, especially young people. So many have told me that when they were young, she fostered their interests and introduced them to science, math, literature, and arts. She always had an open door and a spare bed for anyone needing it. People keep telling me of the "time when I had nowhere to go, and Patty was there."

She leaves behind her sister, Christine Grubbs and Chris's husband, David; brother, Stephen Anthony, and another sister, Katherine Loew and Katherine's husband James. She also leaves dozens of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews who will all be a little sadder at her passing. Even though she now joins our parents safe with God, the world is a little emptier without our Patty.

In lieu of flowers, you can donate in Patricia Anthony's name to: Michigan Tech University https://www.mtu.edu/giving/ways-to-give/Give via credit card, Venmo, PayPal, or Apple Pay on the Michigan Tech Giving Site. Specify the name of the person you are remembering in the gift notes or designation area. or Wounded Warrior Project: https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=38019

If you would like to leave a favorite memory / story of Patricia, or a message of condolence for her family, you may do so below, within 'Add a Memory'.