Patricia Sawyers (Beck)

Although her life was filled with numerous experiences that greatly enriched her life, there was nothing that was more near and dear to the heart of Patricia Sawyers than the family she treasured. She loved being a mother, but she just may have argued that her role as a grandmother was her richest reward. Pat was a huge sports fan who wasn’t afraid to call it like she saw it, especially when she was watching her children or grandchildren play sports. A dear woman to many, she will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those she leaves behind.

With the end of WWI in 1918 America was poised for greatness, recognized as a world leader for the first time. The Roaring Twenties followed, and these were some of the most colorful days in our nation’s history. Innovation was taking us places we had never been with affordable automobiles and the adventurous spirits of Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh bringing the world of flight to new heights. It was also during this exciting time that a young couple from Kalamazoo, Michigan, was filled with unspeakable joy as they welcomed a healthy baby girl into their hearts and home on November 19, 1927. Patricia J. was the middle of three children born to her parents, Earl and Iness (Harmon) Johnson, and she was raised in the family home alongside her older brother, Dale, and her younger sister, Earlene.

Patricia, or Pat as she was often known, experienced an upbringing that was a reflection of the times in many ways. Her parents operated the Washington Square Market to support their family. Pat enjoyed doing things that young girls often do like playing in the park with her friends and going to the movies. She was a student at local schools including Kalamazoo Central High School. In addition to holding down her studies as a teen, Pat also worked at an ice cream factory.

It was while out roller skating one night, which was something she loved to do, that Pat met the young man who would change the course of her life forever. His name was Bob Beck, and the Silver Star Roller Rink was where they met that fateful night. After dating for a time, they were married in 1947. Together they were blessed with the births of three children, Donna, Jim, and Barbara.

As a mother Pat was always there for her children. Pat taught her children to be accountable for their actions, independent, self-sufficient, and to take care of their own battles. She was her children’s biggest supporter and rarely missed any of their activities, especially their sporting events. Pat supported the schools her children attended, which meant standing behind the discipline that they handed out as well. Although she and Bob divorced later on, she was forever grateful for the children they shared.

A longtime sports fan, Pat loved her home-state teams. She was a lifelong fan of the Detroit Tigers, Pistons, Lions, and Red Wings. Pat was also an avid fan of the University of Michigan. She was known to point out the mistakes that the coaches were making to anyone who was in the room. One was never too sure of exactly who Pat’s favorite players were, but it was easy to know who she didn’t like! She was forever in the know of various games and also could give updates on several games. Pat enjoyed bowling, and for many years she and Bob were on a bowling league called the Dizzy Dozen. As her grandchildren grew older, she was also a regular at their sporting events as she had been for her children, and she has even been called a sideline coach as she didn’t hesitate to give pointers.

Life became exciting for Pat when she met and later married Allan Sawyers in 1975. They were a great pair who loved traveling together to places such as the Smokey Mountains and up North. Pat and Allan also liked fishing.

In addition to keeping up with sports, Pat enjoyed other interests and activities. She liked relaxing with a good book, particularly enjoying mysteries, history, the civil war, and Abraham Lincoln. Of course being with her grandchildren outside of attending their sporting events was a favorite as well. Pat always had 5x7 pictures of her grandchildren all around her house, and she rotated them around on a regular basis so as not to show favoritism. She loved all of her grandchildren the same, however, she loved them each in such a unique way that each one thought they were her favorite! Every Christmas Pat ordered special Christmas tree balls with each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s names from Frankenmuth.

Although she struggled with various serious health challenges through the years, Pat was able to overcome them and live an active lifestyle. In more recent years these health issues forced her to slow down some.

When reflecting on the life of Patricia Sawyers, it is clear to see that her happiness was not found in the things she had, rather, it was in the experiences she shared with her loved ones that she felt truly blessed. She instilled within her children timeless lessons such as the importance of being self- reliant, honest, the difference between right and wrong, and the need for respecting one’s elders, and in turn she was so proud of the adults they became. Pat viewed the day that each of her grandchildren were born to be the greatest days of her life, and of course each of her grandchildren were the cutest grandchildren, too. She will never be forgotten by all who were blessed to feel her touch.

Patricia J (Beck) Sawyers, of Portage, died on Thursday, April 3, 2014, at Borgess Hospital. Members of Pat’s family include her 3 children: Donna Beck, Jim (Mila) Beck, Barbara (Randy) Kennedy; 9 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sister, Earlene Meisling. Pat was preceded in death by her first husband, Robert Beck, and her second husband, Allan Sawyers. Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Life Story Funeral Home, Kalamazoo, Betzler, 6080 Stadium Drive (375-2900). The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service as well as at lunch immediately following in the Life Story Center. Please visit Pat’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo or sign her guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial Contributions may be made to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center - Research, the Kalamazoo Humane Society or the SCPA of SW Michigan.