M. Patricia “Pat” Pertel

M. Patricia “Pat” Pertel, nee Turner, age 82, passed away peacefully in her home on December 26, 2021, surrounded by her husband and family. Beloved wife of Richard Pertel for over 55 years. Dear mother of Michele (Jonathan) Reeve and the late Michael Pertel. Loving grandmother of Alison, Michael, and Erin. Dear sister of James (Suzanne), Richard (Mary Lou), Robert (Linda), and Michael (Dorota) Turner. Aunt, cousin, and friend of many.

Pat was born to Earl Wilbur and Marion Ione (Carolus) Turner on August 11, 1939 in Bozeman, MT, the oldest of their five children. She had many fond childhood memories of time spent with her grandparents on their Montana ranch. Pat enjoyed living in 6 states (MT, NM, MN, WI, IL, IA) and over 30 homes as her family moved due to her father’s career, including a summer spent living with her family in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pat attended Edgewood High School in Madison WI, but had to take a 9 month hiatus in a sanitorium due to tuberculosis. Her family moved to Park Forest IL, where she graduated from Ridge Township East High School. Pat earned her bachelor’s degree in Food Science & Nutrition from Clark College in Dubuque, IA and then went on to work for the Meat Board, travelling to 22 states to provide educational seminars. Pat next worked for Durkee Foods in Chicago and lived in Lincoln Park where she met her husband-to-be at a dance in downtown Chicago. On September 17, 1966 Pat and Rich were married at St. Iranaeus Catholic Church in Park Forest. Pat decided to pause her career to focus on raising her family when her son Michael was born in 1967, followed by her daughter Michele in 1969. In 1972, they moved into their home on California Ave. in Chicago where they lived for the next 43 years. Pat now applied her culinary skills at home while enjoying an amazing array of hobbies – sewing, knitting, macrame, needlepoint, all types of arts and crafts, as well as home maintenance and improvement projects. She was den mother and troop leader while her children were in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, a member of the National Poets Society, a reader and cantor at St. Rita’s Catholic Church. Summer vacations were spent visiting her family who had settled in New York. The family cherishes memories of annual camping trips in the Adirondacks, canoeing, hiking, and sharing stories of many encounters with black bears. Once her children graduated high school, Pat resumed her professional career working for Alberto-Culver in food product development for many years, followed by several smaller food companies working in quality assurance, regulatory, and food labeling. Tragically, Pat suffered the loss of her only son Michael in 1992 at the age of 25 to cancer while he was attending graduate school for computer science at Cal Tech in Pasadena, CA.  Pat retired in 2000 and enjoyed visiting her parents, brother and family in Boise, Idaho while helping to chronicle the family’s history and photos. Pat was Aunt to many nieces and nephews and was very close with all her family. There was never a birthday missed without a card and note sent to mark the occasion. Pat relished her role as grandmother to her three grandchildren, staying with them in Glenview, IL whenever their parents were traveling for work. She was Grandma Patty to all the children at the daycare where she regularly volunteered to chaperone field trips. Grandma Patty was an intimate part of her grandchildren’s lives, always ready to play a game, read a story, sing a song, do arts and crafts, help with school projects and shuttle them to and from sports and activities. Grandma Patty knew every one of her grandchildren’s friends, and always made a point to ask after them. In 2015, Pat finally convinced her husband Rich to leave the South Side of Chicago where he had spent the majority of his life and move to a condo in Glenview to be closer to Michele, Jon and the grandkids. She became involved at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, knitting and sewing items for needy children, participated in Bible Study and book club, as well as volunteering for art classes and storytime at OLPH school where her grandchildren attended.

Memorial Visitation will be held Thursday, January  6, 2022 from 4:00-8:00pm at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 1104 Waukegan Road, Glenview. Memorial Mass will be held Friday, January 7, 2022 at 11:30am at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 1775 Grove Street, Glenview. Inurnment All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate or Sister Paulanne’s Needy Family Fund, https://www.givecentral.org/location/552/event/17531. Funeral information 847-901-4012 or visit www.smithcorcoran.com

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