Patricia Welhouse Vandehey

Patricia (Pat) Mary Welhouse Vandehey, age 74, passed away on Friday, February 5th, 2021, at Theda Care Medical Hospital Neenah, due to complications from COVID-19. She was born on November 9, 1946, daughter of the late Earl and Valeria (Pawelkiewicz) Welhouse. Pat was married to Mark D. Vandehey for 52 years before her passing.

Pat had a variety of jobs in her life and retired in September of 2009, from Appleton Manufacturing as a Customer Service Representative/Direct Marketer. She was beloved by her co-workers, and although she was very proud to be a working woman, being a wife and mother was what she loved.

Pat was a wonderful wife to Mark D. Vandehey and great mother to her four children: Nikki, Sharri, Donn, and Mark. She filled the home with unconditional love that provided everyone with a sense of warmth and a feeling of comfort.  Pat was always willing to listen, with no judgment. She genuinely wanted to learn about other people and understand what was important to them. Her presence will always be felt through the love she gave.

At the age of 19, Pat worked for Kimberly Clark as a secretary to the Treasury Department. She was very proud of this accomplishment, and as a result, her first major purchase was a bedroom set that continues to reside in her home today. This set of furniture is beautiful, quality built, and is a treasure, much like she was. It will be a reminder of the standard she set for us. Pat set that standard by being an exceptional person and amazing friend.

Pat was a feisty, strong-willed woman with a heart of gold. She was smart, hardworking, dependable, organized, and a meticulous planner. She was consistent with her words and stood her ground. A complainer she was not; she was as tough as they came. All of these qualities of strength were coupled with her natural ways of being gentle and compassionate. She loved with her whole heart and instilled the importance of being a good person through her love and kindness.

If you knew Pat, you know she loved to spend time with her family and friends, read, play cards, decorate at Christmas time, cheer for her favorite sports teams, taking long drives with her husband Mark to look at nature and explore new restaurants, she enjoyed a good burger; her trips to Arizona with her sister Carol, paddles to flash in her car, being on the pontoon, listening to good music; especially Elvis, and buying meaningful gifts which was her language of love. A couple of things you might not know, is that she loved her cat Peek-a-boo, and liked to follow Hollywood Celebrities and giving an opinion or two. Which leads me to one of her most enduring qualities, and that is her sense of humor. You would be hard pressed to find someone as quick witted and funny as Pat. She loved to laugh and truly enjoyed life. There is no doubt that Pat, our mom(wife), will be missed, but she will live in our hearts and memories for a lifetime.

As Pat and Mark grew older their life had shifted, every morning they would take their meds, enjoy their breakfast and coffee, hold hands, and say they were going to make that day the best day of their lives. And they sure did try. We will continue with that tradition of honoring her and try to make every day the best day we can.

Patricia is survived by:  her husband Mark D. Vandehey, her children; Nikki Vandehey, Sharri Vandehey, Donn Vandehey, Mark Vandehey; her grandson, Teon Childs, her sisters: Jeanne VandenHeuvel (Sara and Martin Jaeger) (Patrick and Jodi Vanden Heuvel), Carol (Al) Schmidt ( Lee and Kym Schmidt) (Kevin and Jodi Schmidt), Mary (Michael) Heesakker ( Justin and Nick Heesakker), Her brothers and sisters-in- law: Dave (Jacci) Vandehey( Brad Vandehey) (Brian and Kelly Vandehey) (Shawn and Kevin Hintz) (Blair and Colleen Vandehey) (Missy and Don Van Krey), Dolly (Ed) Gerhartz), Roy (Catherine) Weyenberg, Mary Ann (Ken) Vander Wielen, Tom (Carol) Weyenberg, Carol (Gary) Micke, nieces; (Linda Vandehey Boschuetz) (Amy and Kip Otto) nephews: (Mike Vandehey) (Steve and Lori Vandehey), and many other family members and friends.

Patricia was preceded in death by her parents Earl and Valeria Welhouse, mother and father in-law Donald and Martha Vandehey, step-mother-in-law Myrtle Vandehey, brothers and sisters-in-law, Richard Vandehey, Mary Lou Vandehey, Lois (Carl) Hietpas, Larry Diedrick, and other family and friends.

Funeral liturgy will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 19, 2010 at Holy Spirit Parish in Kimberly, with Fr. Carl Schmitt officiating.  Burial will follow in the parish cemetery.

The Vandehey Family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Theda Care Covid Unit in Neenah for the loving care they showed her. She passed in the loving presence of two nurses and a doctor holding her hands as she took her last peaceful breaths.