Patricia “Pat” Anne Goetz left this world for a reunion with her Lord on February 14, 2021, feast of Christian martyr Saint Valentine and day of boundless love. No doubt she is in Heaven now, writing a vivid devotional poem about her week-long rest on Earth before her transcendence into the arms of God.
Pat was born Patricia Anne Clough on May 2, 1935 in Kenosha, WI to Alfred Edmund Clough and Gladys Mae Heie, the youngest of four children. She relished her days at “country school,” especially playing baseball as Pat was a self-described tomboy, known – into her 80s – for her trademark ball cap and hoodie. She also loved to bake, even burning a batch of cookies once and burying them in the back yard. Beyond that, she’d explore her terrain, traveling on foot far and wide, even hiking over a trestle bridge meant for trains. The arts also called to Pat. She played piano, watched movies, read books, and wrote poetry. Storytelling, music, and language – like prayer – sustained her.
In adulthood, Pat’s artistic endeavors continued. She was an avid seamstress, creating her own apron brand called Pioneer Aprons. Becoming a mother and creating a home for her children brought Pat deep satisfaction; tales of raising a family dominated much of her storytelling later in life. In 1986, Pat graduated with an R.N. from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Racine, WI.
In 2009, Pat returned to higher education and pursued her greatest passion – writing. By 2015, she’d earned a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, becoming the oldest student on record to earn a college degree from this institution. She was a local celebrity! Her capstone writing project in the Department of English detailed her journey to the Middle East. She called it “My Israel Story.” She also wrote stories, poems, and even children’s books – illustrated in the spirit of Shel Silverstein – before and after her formal graduation.
In the final decade of her life, Pat traveled back and forth between Wisconsin and Tennessee to spend time with her beloved children and grandchildren, always keeping a calendar of upcoming “dates” with whomever was next in line for breakfast at a local restaurant or diner. She texted her family religiously.
Pat was a devout Christian and was never alone. During “coffee ‘n’ donut time,” she communed with the Lord, and on campus at UW Oshkosh, Pat was always making friends. Generational divides didn’t exist in Pat’s world; some of her closest classmates were six decades younger than she was. Professors, staff, and fellow students adored her perspective, her wit, and her sense of humor. Pat Goetz inspired an entire generation of young people. Her legacy lives on.
Pat is survived by her children Judy Matus, Mary (Mark) Mattioda, and Herbert Goetz; her grandchildren Samantha Wood, Mathias (Alyssa) Rivers, Paul (Allie) Mattioda, Christopher (Nicole) Mattioda, Joseph Mattioda, Kurt Mattioda, Kyle (Katie) Mattioda, Adam Goetz, and Savannah Rosenberg; her great grandchildren, Shaylee, Luke and Dominic Mattioda; her niece Cathy Rich (nee Mann), her nephews Rick and Tom (Mary) Mann, her niece Susie Bartley (nee Clough); and many cousins and friends, including Laura Jean Baker, Laurie Ahrens and Marshall Cook who helped Pat take education into her eighth decade.
Pat is preceded in death by her much loved and adored toddler son Herbert Edmund Goetz; father of her children Herbert Joseph Goetz; her mother and father Alfred Edmund Clough and Gladys Mae Heie; her sisters Dorothy Louise Dietman and Barbara Lee Mann; and her brother Roger Edmund Clough.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to establish a scholarship in Pat’s name for an up and coming writer @ UWO in the English Department. Please notate Pat Goetz Memorial UWO scholarship on donation and mail to Mary Mattioda @ 4017 Harbor Chapel Kingsport, TN 37664
Memorial services will take place on Friday, February 19, at VO Dobbins/Douglas Room in Kingsport, TN, from 5:30 to 8 PM; on Wednesday, February 24, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Racine, WI, time to be announced ; and on Friday, February 26, at UWO, time and place to be announced.
Cremation services provided by Trinity Memorial Centers (423-723-8177) , Kingsport, TN. Online condolences can be made @ trinitymemorialcenters.com
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