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Pat McIntyre

June 23, 1934 - June 10, 2015
Jeptha Lake-Bloomingdale, MI

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Visitation

Friday, June 12, 2015
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Paw Paw Location
60900 Michigan 40
Paw Paw, MI 49079
(269) 657-3870
Driving Directions

Service

Friday, June 12, 2015
11:00 AM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Paw Paw Location
60900 Michigan 40
Paw Paw, MI 49079
(269) 657-3870

A luncheon will follow at Jeptha Golf Course.

Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

First Congregational Church of Grand Junction
P.O. Box 166
Grand Junction, MI 49056
(269) 434-6117
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Taylor's Florist and Gifts
215 E. Michigan Ave.
Paw Paw, MI 49079
(269) 657-6256
Driving Directions
Web Site

Ambati
1830 S. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 349-4961
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Patricia McIntyre lived a life of purpose while embracing the people and things she loved. She was social and outgoing with a zest for life that was contagious. Pat was a loving wife and devoted mother who was filed with unspeakable joy to welcome grandchildren and even great-grandchildren into the family later in life. Although she could be a bit stubborn at times, she sure was funny and generous beyond measure as well. Life will never be the same without Pat here, but the memories she leaves behind will remain a lasting treasure in the hearts and lives of all those she leaves behind.

The 1930s were some of the darkest days we have faced as a nation as the entire decade was cloaked in the hardship of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, which drove the unemployment rate to over 25 percent, and families were left to do whatever they could to make ends meet. To make matters worse, there was a drought that covered our nation’s heartland for nearly two years, adding strain to an already crippled agricultural industry. Despite the challenges around them, John and Florence (McDaniel) Wyant were filled with great anticipation as they were awaiting the birth of their new baby as summer appeared in the city of Schoolcraft, Michigan, in 1934. The big day arrived on June 23rd when the baby girl they named Patricia L. drew her first breath. She was the older of three children in her family and was raised alongside her younger brothers, Riley and John, with all of the Wyant children being two years apart.

As a lifelong resident of Schoolcraft, Pat experienced a fairly typical upbringing. Her parents had a dairy farm and her mother also drive the school bus. For this reason, Pat never wanted her mother to attend school activities since it was too embarrassing. As she grew a bit older, she started smoking with her girlfriends when she was just a young girl of 13, and she was also a cheerleader who was very into fashion. Pat attended local schools and graduated from Schoolcraft High School in 1952.

Not to be forgotten during her years as a young woman was Pat’s introduction to the man of her dreams. His name was Jerry McIntyre, and they met while at the Kalamazoo County Fair. Truth be told, Pat was smitten from the moment she saw him in his Marine blues. In fact, Jerry

recruited both of her brothers into the military as well! The pair went out for pizza, which was the first time Pat ever had pizza. With a desire to establish a life together, Pat and Jerry were married on June 19, 1954, at the local Presbyterian church in Schoolcraft. After a reception in her parents’ dairy barn, the newlyweds were off to a honeymoon in Kentucky with $100 in their pocket! Watching Pat and Jerry was like watching an episode of I Love Lucy since they both had an amazing sense of humor.

Together Pat and Jerry were blessed to become parents of three wonderful girls, Belinda, Christy, and Kara. Although she had been working at Shakespeare in Kalamazoo prior to getting married, Pat was able to stay home to raise their girls. She did work doing odds and ends to save money for the holidays. Much later in life, Pat and Jerry ran a bar together. She was an active part of her girls’ lives including as their softball coach for years. It was quite a sight to see Pat doing their exercises with a cigarette in her mouth! Although they worked hard, they played hard, too. Some of their favorite memories were made frogging at Bankson Lake as well as snowmobiling in the winter.

Throughout her life Pat was a woman of many interests and a bustle of activity. She and Jerry have been called “the socialites of Schoolcraft” since they had something going on every night. When they were home, they could often be found in a competitive game of Battleship with drinks in hand. Pat loved golf whether she was playing on several golf leagues or watching, and for years she frequented Shamrock and Jeptha Golf Course, especially during her retirement years. Tiger Woods and Greg Norman were her favorites. Additionally, Pat played tennis. Since she was raised on a farm she was never interested in pets until later in life when she kind of had no choice since they seemed to gravitate to her! Pat was amazing at decorating her home, and when it came to cooking, most of it was done in a casserole or crock pot. Pizza, thin and crispy, was her favorite food, and everything was great with a cheap beer of some kind like Busch Lite. Pat looked forward to the holidays every year, and since she worked to bring in some extra money she was known to shower her girls with presents. As someone who loved decorating, she began planning her holiday decorations in June! Pat was a fan of Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers as well as the Lions. She liked Sinatra and Andy Williams as well as oldies from people like Patsy Cline. “Stardust” was Pat and Jerry’s song. For 15 years, Pat was on oxygen, and she battled emphysema for more than 10 years. A longtime smoker, she would have smoked up until her last day if they would have let her. Pat always loved being a grandmother, and more recently a great-grandmother as well.

Funny, colorful, and unique in her own way, Patricia McIntyre was a blessing to everyone she met. She could be opinionated at times, and it has also been said that if she wasn’t happy then no one was happy. Pat was the sort of person who didn’t much care what others thought, and there was nothing she treasured more than her family. She will never be forgotten.

Patricia L. McIntyre, of Bloomingdale, died on June 10, 2015 at her home. Members of her family include 3 daughters: Belinda (Thorne) Angell; Christy (Robert) Piper and Kara Tomerlin; 5 grandchildren: Jill Angell (Alisha Krcatovich), Conrad (Erika) Angell, Mollie (Marco) Baldenegro, John “Bucky” (Dr. Kristin) Piper, and Tramble (Kimberlee) Tomerlin; 4 great-grandchildren: Madison, Ryan, Carter and Mia; 2 brothers: Riley (Marney) Wyant and John (Linda) Wyant; and many nieces and nephews. Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald McIntyre, in 2013. Services will be held Friday 11:00 a.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler & Thompson, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw; 657-3870 with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow at Jeptha Golf Course. Private burial will take place at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Please visit Pat’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational Church of Grand Junction.

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