Patricia Diane Beeler, 85, passed away October 21, 2021 in Norman, Oklahoma.
Patricia was born March 2, 1936, in West Hollywood, California. She spent her early years growing up in the Los Angeles area. She attended Hollywood High School, was a member of Job's Daughters, and an honor roll grade student. She loved to ice skate with her father, who at one time was a professional ice hockey player with the world champion Chicago Blackhawks.
In 1952, her family relocated to Carlsbad, New Mexico, to engage in the dairy industry. There Patricia completed high school and moved on to El Paso, Texas. In El Paso, she made use of her training in shorthand and accounting and met Phillip Beeler, engineer for the SEC Corporation. They married December 1, 1973. Experiencing success in oil and gas exploration in the Oklahoma Panhandle (Pat touching the four compass points of each drilling site for good fortune), she, Phil, and family left their home and former jobs uprooting to Norman in 1976 as wildcatters. In Norman, Pat soon became an avid OU football and basketball fan, loved gardening, travel, trying new restaurants, and social events. She enjoyed flowers, birds, animals, bridge games, drives in the countryside, Thunder games, and family. She was a longtime and active member of the Assistance League of Norman, First Presbyterian Church, and the Norman Garden Club (more than once winning garden of the year).
On January 26, 1997, Phil suffered a massive stroke, remaining paralyzed on his right side. Patricia brought him home and lovingly cared for him the remainder of his life (over 13 years).
Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, Phillip F. Beeler; parents, Edwin and Genevieve Vokes; daughter, Dian Brown; and grandson, Chad Vasey. She is survived
by her siblings, William Vokes, Melissa Murphy, and Charles Vokes; her children, Debbee and Charles Tune, Curt and Bitsy Vasey, and Sims Beeler; four grandchildren; and fourteen great grandchildren.