Patricia Wiseman

“Some special people make the world brighter just by being in it…” Pat Wiseman was one of those people. As one of her many friends recently told her, “You always lift the spirit of everyone you are around.” This was truly her gift.

So many words could describe her, but these three seem to do so best: life, laughter, love. Pat enjoyed life and was full of life. She was always cheerful and upbeat, continually looking on the bright side. Her glass was always full and often overflowing. She had a lifelong love of learning and never stopped, even learning to send her first text message a few weeks before she died. She was sincerely interested in everything and everyone.

Her contagious and warm laughter flowed from her enjoyment of life. You could not spend any amount of time with her without laughing at least once, even right up to the end. Perhaps, best of all, she never hesitated to laugh at herself. She could find humor in the most awkward and difficult situations, such as being stuck in an elevator or locked inside a train restroom! She was always fun to be with and the life of every gathering. But probably the best word to capture who she was is love. She loved God, and she loved her family and friends. Pat had a very strong faith which carried her through all of the difficult moments of her life. Someone recently wrote to her that she never flinched, not in the face of her own illness, not when her husband died of a brain tumor at a young age, but instead “continued to show us all how to live with grace during difficult times – always with a rosary, a word of encouragement, and a beautiful smile…” Her strong example of faith touched many lives and helped numerous others in their faith. She was known for her wise counsel, and one person especially remembers her advice to look for the good side of any person causing grief. Pat herself was very faithful, praying her daily prayers and rosary until the end. Hers was a joyful, happy faith. She had long prayed for a happy death and for presence of mind until the end. It seems that God heard her prayer.

Her family and friends were so important to her. After her husband died when she was only 53, her children and grandchildren kept her going. She enjoyed and celebrated their music, their sports, and their accomplishments, attending every special event in their lives. She was also such a good and caring friend. She never forgot a birthday, always sending a card and note as she did whenever someone was struggling or facing pain or sorrow. Her friends’ appreciation and love for her showed clearly in the many wonderful cards and notes she received from them during the course of her illness and particularly in the days before her death. She had a special love for all of God’s creation, especially her beloved Lake Superior. She enjoyed all her “grand dogs" and particularly loved butterflies and birds, keeping food in her birdfeeder for them all year long. She fed a family of stray cats for several generations because she could not bear the thought of them starving, particularly in cold weather. She was grateful for everything and everyone God gave her.

This woman of such indomitable spirit passed gracefully into eternity on Sunday, June 12, at the age of 85 with her family by her side. She was born June 10, 1926 in Marquette, Michigan to Willard and Siiri (Piirto) Truckey. She graduated from Graveraet High School in Marquette in 1944 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northern Michigan College of Education (now Northern Michigan University) in 1949.

On January 30, 1950 she married Thomas R. Wiseman in Marquette. He preceded her in death on October 10, 1979. His engineering position with the Michigan Department of Transportation took them to a number of different towns in Michigan,including 16 years in Cadillac, before they finally settled in St. Johns, MI in 1976.

Pat was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns. In the past she was a coordinator for Good Samaritan Services in St. Johns, volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and served as a grief support volunteer for both hospice and St. Joseph Church. She was an avid Spartan fan and enjoyed swimming, tennis, and, even into her late 70’s, ice skating. One of her proudest accomplishments was swimming a mile in Lake Superior.

She had a lifelong love of music and in her early years was a piano accompanist for many groups and musicians, including polka bands, jazz bands, and choruses. One of her greatest joys though was raising her children. She often said she felt she had been blessed with a wonderful life.

She is survived by her six children: Paula (Richard Starck) Wiseman of St. Johns, Patrice (David) Smith of Paw Paw, Thomas (Michelle) Wiseman of St. Johns, Timothy Wiseman of St. Johns, David Wiseman of Lansing, and Jennifer (Charles) Henrich of Battle Creek. Also surviving are ten grandchildren: Thomas (Amanda) and Andrew Starck; Allison (Robert) Leonard, Lindsey (Brian) Quaranta, and Benjamin Smith; Ryan (Trish), Chad, and Abby Wiseman; and Justin and Matthew Henrich. In addition she is survived by six great-grandchildren and two step grandchildren: Marcy (Jeffrey) Clarke and Eric (Sarah) Starck. Also surviving are her six brothers and sisters: Robert (Dorothy) Truckey of Ishpeming, Willard (Maryrene) Truckey of Munising, John (Ruth) Truckey of Sault Ste. Marie, George (Sue) Truckey of Duluth, MN, Mary (Robert) Apple of Marquette, and Barbara Truckey of Milwaukee, WI, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A rosary and vigil service will be held at 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday, June 15, at Osgood Funeral Home in St. Johns. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Rev. Eoin Murphy on Thursday, June 16, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Joseph Catholic Church also in St. Johns. Rite of Committal and internment will take place on Saturday, June 18, at 11:00 A.M. at Holy Cross Cemetery in Marquette. Memorial contributions may be made to Sparrow Hospice Services, 1210 W. Saginaw, Lansing, MI 48915 or to the scholarship program at St. Joseph Catholic School in St. Johns.