Patricia S. Taylor

Patricia Taylor was born August 28,1956 in Birmingham, Alabama and passed at her home in Crown Point, Indiana on December 22, 2020 from complications from metastatic ovarian cancer after undergoing treatment for 2 years.

Patricia was born to the late Robert and Marian (Atkins) Taylor of Park Forest, Illinois. She is preceded in death by her sisters Joy and Jenny, and is survived by her sister Wendy and brother Ian (Bonnie). She was a beloved mother to Ashley (Scott) and Michael (Esmerelda) and adored Nana to her three grandchildren James, Sammy and Avery.

Pat was born in Birmingham, Alabama and moved to Chicago as a toddler. From there, the family settled in Park Forest, Illinois, where she grew up. She is a graduate of Rich Central High School, Prairie State University (Associates degree) and Purdue University, earning her Bachelor's degree in nursing. Pat worked as a registered nurse, beginning her career in labor and delivery at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois. From there, she dabbled in various fields of nursing including dialysis, one day surgery, oncology, psychiatric care and finally retired from United Healthcare as a renal care nurse. Her dedication and warmth made her a favorite to patients and colleagues alike.

Pat truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures such as cooking, playing with the grandkids, and going for walks with her dogs. Every Saturday morning, her home was filled with the comfort and the sweet aroma of hot crepes. Without skipping a beat, she would move from cooking to reading or building block towers with the kids. Her endless energy had her loading up the kids for a stroll around the block along with her big dog, Caine. Throughout that walk, there were many stops to marvel at the goods nature has to provide: flowers, trees, animals and even a fairy garden. Each day she would say to her grandkids, "What a beautiful day it is today. I've never seen one like this before," and she meant it.

Pat enjoyed taking her kids on vacations as they grew up. These trips included visiting Orlando's Disney World and Universal Studios, San Antonio, Texas and a road trip to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. There were also more local trips to the Wisconsin Dells and Mammoth Cave. Her love of travelling brought her and her family to London and Paris many years ago. More recently, she travelled to New York to visit her niece Meghan and baby Avrum, as well as various summer trips to Arizona. She enjoyed her Arizona trips so much, she was looking at homes in the Sedona area.

Pat was an animal lover and taught those around her to care for all living things--from the tiny spider crawling in the garden to the horse she purchased for her daughter. Over the years, many animals found their way into her home, mostly unplanned. Growing up, Ashley and Michael always had dogs and cats, along with the occasional bird or hamster. At one point, there was even a hedgehog and ferret. Pat holds the family record for oldest cat-20 years.

Pat's family would like to thank Dr. Wallace and Dr. Moroney of University of Chicago Hospitals for their aggressive yet compassionate treatment of her ovarian cancer. Their dedication to Pat bought her 2 more years with her family and friends. While there were some setbacks through those years, there were many more happy days full of laughter, positive energy and love. The family would also like to thank Vicky Weis of the Cancer Support Center in Homewood for the yoga, massages and reiki sessions provided to Pat free of charge.

Pat had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way through her patience and gentleness. Her unconditional kindness and caring nature enabled her to be a great nurse, friend, mother and aunt. She is greatly missed.  Memorial visitation Monday, December 28 from 4:00 p.m. until the time of service at 6:00 p.m.  at the Tews-Ryan Funeral Home, 18230 Dixie Highway, Homewood.  Memorials may be made to the South Suburban Humane Society, 1103 W. End Avenue, Chicago Heights, IL   60411.