Obituary of Patricia L. Vaske

DYERSVILLE, IOWA

Patricia “Pat” Vaske, 84, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on October 13, 2022.

A visitation will be held from 9 – 10:30 am Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville.  A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 am Tuesday at St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville.  Rev. Philip Agyei will officiate, and burial will be in the church cemetery.

Pat was born April 12, 1938, in Dubuque, Iowa, daughter of Clarence and Lucille “Toots” (Cunningham) Beckmann.  She graduated from Xavier High School and attended business school in Omaha, NE.  She was united in marriage to Richard “Dick” Vaske on November 27, 1958, at the Basilica of St Francis Xavier in Dyersville, IA.

Pat is survived by her husband, Richard “Dick” Vaske of Dyersville IA; 6 children Scott (Lois) Vaske of Marion IA, Debbie (Al) Link of Dyersville IA, Patrick (Cynthia) Vaske of Iowa City IA, Kim (Jim) Packingham of Cedar Rapids IA, Terry (Leah) Vaske of North Liberty IA, Jackie (Adam) Scott of Cedar Rapids IA; 6 grandchildren Cory and Kelli Deutmeyer, Zak and Max Packingham, Dahnovan Abraham, and Ajay Scott; 2 great-grandchildren Braxton and McKenzie Deutmeyer.

Pat was very proud of her Irish Heritage and family was everything to her.  She never met a stranger and lived life to its fullest. Christmas was her absolute favorite and there was never a missed corner where there was not a decoration.  She was considered a second mom to many of her children’s friends and always had homemade goodies on the counter for them to enjoy. She was a big fan of the Chicago Cubs and made annual trips to watch them play as well as Spring Training in Arizona when her son Terry played. Pat loved her poodles and had an especially close relationship with her current poodle named Daisy.  She rescued her from a puppy mill four years ago and they rarely separated.  Pat was strong as steel battling two bouts of breast cancer, a stroke, and fought her hardest, without complaint, with metastasized squamous cell carcinoma that took her life – all with a smile on her face. She will always be remembered for her quick-witted jokes, very kind heart, and the most loving wife, mom, grandma, and great-grandma. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; father and mother-in-law, Greg and Tillie Vaske, two sisters Katie McCarthy and Deanne (John) Rubner, and a brother-in-law, Charles (Mary Alice) Vaske.

“May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be ever at your back.

May the sunshine warm your face,

And the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”