Frank & Bright Funeral Home

Mary Patridge

Sep 11th, 1948 - Dec 31st, 2024

 

      Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Mary E. Patridge was surrounded by her family when she passed on December 31, 2024.

      She was born on September 11, 1948 and raised in Hord, IL. Mary was the daughter of Keith and Ruth Porter, and younger sister to Bob.

      Mary was introduced to Dan at a picnic by his Grandma Ginny. Later that year, on a trip to the Illinois State Fair, they ran into one other after being separated from their friends, spent the rest of the day together, and continued their courtship throughout the summer. According to Dan, they broke up when school started due to the high school rivalry between Louisville and Clay City. Both attended Olney Central College, where they rekindled, and were engaged within the year. Dan and Mary were married for over 56 years and had three children: Jennifer, Danielle, and Keith.

      Mary dedicated 47 years of her life to education, where she impacted the lives of many Clay City first graders. She was a brilliant friend and mentor to her fellow teachers. Mary shared her love of books with many students and her grandkids. She spent infinite hours reading with her family. After her retirement, Mary donated many boxes of books and would take any opportunity to return to the classroom to read.

      She had a knack for making people feel welcome, whether in the classroom, at church, or amongst friends. Through countless hours spent volunteering at the church and hundreds of gifted buckets of “party mix,” Mary continuously proved her commitment to her community. She served as a church pianist for decades. She always had a hefty bunch of fresh produce from her garden to share with her friends and family. And she gave away too many jars of homemade jelly to count.

      Mary loved to spend time in her kitchen, usually slinging flour on the floor, cabinets, and herself. As she would say, “doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good.” She often spent the days leading up to family visits preparing loads of coffee cakes, chocolate pies, and homemade noodles. Each recipe was seasoned with love as she deemed exact measurements unnecessary. Mary never ran short on quantities because she knew a double batch was always better than a single, regardless of the available refrigerator space.

      She was “the boss” in our family. Mary kept us all running on time, secretly turning up clocks and fibbing on appointment times when necessary. We usually struggled to keep up with her, but would eventually make it “off like a herd of turtles.” Without her, many of us may never be on time again.

      Mary devoted herself to her kids and grandchildren. She was our biggest supporter, especially at ballgames – often arriving before the athletes. Mary never missed a game, but watched virtually or listened to radio broadcasts, even during her hospital stays.

      She fought cancer for four years, eleven months, and twenty-one days. Mary would never say she “lost” her battle because that isn’t the truth. She endured countless tests, blood draws, helicopter rides, and too many chemo treatments to count. Her husband, “Danny,” as she referred to him, remained her rock throughout her entire cancer journey. He acted as her personal chauffeur, coach, cheerleader, nurse, chef, and waiter. They closed each night with a goodnight kiss regardless of the chaos that transpired that day.

      As an avid member of Red Brush Christian Church, Mary drew strength from watching virtual church services, reading her bible, and meeting with her Connect Group. The hundreds of kind posts and comments on Miracles for Mary provided her with comfort and encouragement during the toughest of days. She never complained, she trusted the Lord and her beloved oncologist. Mary was determined to enjoy her time with her family and friends. She showed incredible strength and resilience, but that is not what we want her to be remembered for; instead, she should be remembered for her love of family, faith, and her endless wit and grit. Mary will be deeply missed and always remembered.

      We know that she is dancing in the sky with our Heavenly Father. Mary was preceded in joining the Lord by her parents Keith and Ruth, brother Bob and niece Rita Porter. She is survived by her husband, Dan; their children, Jennifer (Kurt), Danielle (Greg), Keith (Elizabeth); their eleven grandchildren, Cydne, Emma, Kaden, Palmer, Garrett, Lizzie, Jack, Madox, Ava, Beatrice, and Halle; and several nieces and nephews.

      Celebration of Life services will begin with a visitation held at Red Brush Christian Church (Louisville, IL) on Friday evening, January 3, from 4 until 7 p.m. and Saturday morning, January 4, from 9 until 10 a.m. Funeral services will be held at Red Brush Christian Church on Saturday, January 4, at 10 a.m., with graveside services following at Clay City Cemetery.

      In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Clay County Cancer Support Group (via check or venmo @danpatridge) or Red Brush Church NEXT Building Campaign (via check or Red Brush-Donations) in Mary’s honor.

      Arrangements are by Frank & Bright Funeral Home.  To share a condolence or memory, visit: www.frankandbright.com