Patricia Mae "Pat" Cretcher

Patricia Mae “Pat” Cretcher, formerly of Lake Quivira, Kansas, passed away on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2021, surrounded by Bert, her husband of 69 years, and her three daughters, Cindy, Missy, and Suzy.

Mom was born in Kansas City, MO on September 6th, 1933, to Jesse and Pauline Northington. The eldest of four, she is survived by her brother Jesse Northington (Joy), Raymore, MO, her sister Kathie Bechtel (Rick), Prairie Village, KS, and her youngest brother Robert “Bob” Northington (Rosann), Lee’s Summit, MO.

Pat met her husband, Bert, when they were just fourteen years of age. Mom saw Dad at a Teen Town night, supported by the neighborhood school. It was love at first sight. Shortly after, they reconnected while ice skating on Penn Valley Park Lake, where he offered to tighten Mom’s skates. After that, they were inseparable.

Mom graduated from Redemptorist High School in 1950 and, in 1952, she married Dad. In 1953, Dad was drafted into the Army and was assigned to Nuremburg, Germany. Six months later Mom followed him. There they lived off-base in an apartment in downtown Nuremburg for a year. In 2015, we were lucky enough to travel to Germany to see their old apartment where they spent their time as newlyweds.

Mom was an avid antique collector and had a talent for finding treasures among the clutter. She and several of her friends would often take off for the weekend and scour the antique shops all over Missouri and other states for “Buried Treasures”. She used her gift to fill our homes in Raytown and the Lake of the Ozarks with a mix of nautical and primitive antiques. When those homes were sold and a new home was bought in Lake Quivira, she filled that house too.

Something not everyone knows about our mom is that she was a highly successful contester; back when entering a contest included filling out paper entries and waiting to get a call or hear her name on the radio. She was very diligent, and her persistence was rewarded with winnings including a pickup truck, a moped, fifty-eight trips including European tours, Disney World vacations, and various cruises. She was a repeat winner of Super Bowl trips and tickets. She won a bit of money and a multitude of t-shirts. Of her winnings, only memories, t-shirts and a copious amount of photos remain.

Mom owned the first personal computer on the block. Years before Windows, she learned to conquer the “C” prompt. While we couldn’t begin to tell you what that is, or what it is used for, it didn’t stop Mom. She read, and studied, and figured it out.

When the first “portable” video camera arrived on the scene, she became the keeper of our memories. Videoing birthdays, holidays, water and snow skiing, and any important event, she made sure we had a recording of it. Mom even managed to ski down a mountain with the “portable” camera to her eye and the bulky bag recorder on her shoulder to capture our moves. This was quite an accomplishment as she struggled with the slopes.

She was funny and silly and taught all of us how to let go of our serious side and enjoy life the way it should be lived. With a quick wit, and smile at the ready, she was always up for an adventure. From tracking down the culprit who hit our car one New Year’s Eve night while it sat in the driveway, to getting her kids out of school to catch the newest movie.

Our hearts were broken on December 25th when she left our lives. We were with her at Sunrise Senior Living of Lenexa. Holding her hands and sitting on her bed, we shared her final moments on this Earth. She was the glue that held us together. Her favorite holiday was Christmas, and it was fitting that she lived to see this Christmas and became a part of all our Christmases to come.

She is survived by husband, Bert Cretcher and daughters Cindy Bennett, Edwards, MO, Missy Cretcher, Lenexa, KS, and Suzy Ince (Brent), Blue Springs, MO. Six grandchildren who will also miss her, Brian Bennett, Broken Arrow, OK, Amanda Bennett, Medford, OR, Drew Loschke (Kelsey), Joelton, TN, Jessica Loschke, Milan, MO, Anna Ince, Blue Springs, MO, Brandon Ince, Osaka, Japan, and two great-grandchildren, Scout and Remy Loschke.

She was the perfect co-conspirator to her husband, and a treasure to her children. We love her dearly and will miss her daily.