Patricia, affectionately known as “Patty Don” in her childhood years, was born in Worthington, Missouri, on September 27, 1936, to William Dennis and Ina Coleene Haynes. At a young age, she and her family moved to Peoria, Illinois, where she graduated from Manual High School in 1954. There, she met her future husband, Robert Dentino, in German class. They married in 1958 and shared a devoted love that spanned 68 years.
That same year, Patricia graduated from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing as a registered nurse. During Robert’s Air Force career, Patricia and their family moved frequently, living in many places including Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Germany, Hawaii, and South Carolina. Wherever they lived, Patricia had a special gift for turning each house into a warm and welcoming home.
Patricia continued her education throughout her career, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984. This began her lifelong love of Texas football, becoming a devoted Longhorn fan and season ticket holder who attended every game possible. In 1988, she earned her master’s degree in nursing and nurse practitioner’s license from UT Health Science Center in Dallas. Through her work in hospitals, home health, family practice, and women’s health, Patricia touched countless lives with her compassion and dedication.
In 1996, Patricia and Robert designed and built their dream home in San Marcos, Texas, where they lived until 2014. She was an active member in the San Marcos Garden Club, Women’s Bowling League, and the First United Methodist Church.
In 2015, they moved to the Army Residence Community in San Antonio.
Some of Patricia’s happiest memories were made at the family lake house in Missouri, where she loved long boat rides and summers spent with family—sitting on the dock, watching her loved ones swim and play.
Patricia was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, William Monroe Haynes.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Robert Lee Dentino; her children, Robert Douglas Dentino, Nancy Kay Herrington (James), and David Haynes Dentino (Karin); and her grandchildren, Kathryn Whaley (Ethan), Jennifer Herrington, Hunter Dentino, Parker Dentino, and Sierra Cerrillo.
Patricia will be remembered for her love of family, her caring heart, her devotion to her faith, the homes she created wherever life took her, and the warm moments and memories that made her the happiest. Her legacy will live on in all who knew and loved her.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Porter Loring Mortuary North.
A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., at Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, Texas.
Interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
