Patricia J. (Haslem) May

Patricia Jane Haslem May; Born into life May 24, 1944; Born into eternal life December 13, 2025

I first met Patty in the fall of 1962 at Purdue University on a blind date for a freshman dance arranged by my long-term friend and college roommate.  Patty had a welcoming personality, was smart, focused, beautiful and I found a good dancer. Early in our freshman year we established a Sunday dinner ronde view which would carry through our college years where in addition to a passable dinner any thoughtful topic was good for a lively evening’s discussion with my good friend Patty.  I took notice of her values, strong will, sense of purpose, respect for people and enjoyment of life.  Theearly years of ourfriendship grew into love and deep respect for each otherin college and married years in graduate school.

After completing my master’s degree and moving from Boston to Seattle for my work with Boeing and three years later sharing the joy of the birth of our son Bryce and throughout the total fifty-nine years of marriage I came to know and appreciate her total love of life. She was interested in people, education, work, art, fashion, music, politics, and religion. Earning an undergraduate degree in clinical pharmacy at Purdue led to pursuing a master’s degree in pharmacy and then teaching at University of Illinois Medical School in Chicago.Supporting my efforts to start our own company, she contributed key help in the early years of the business being our chief financial officer and providing thoughtful council on our board.  She was a great cook and had a passion forcookiesin all their forms.  She was proud of her Irish heritage through her mother Eileen Noonan’s family and the fact that her grandfather came to the US from Ireland as a young, uneducated man and put himself through dental school and became a dentist with a vibrant practice.She revered her father, Don Haslem, who also put himself through University of Illinois during the depression later earning a master’s degree in management at the University of Chicago and was a very handsomeman with a quick mind, love of music and a beautiful tenor voice.

Patty was a Christian from her life’s beginning, throughout a long challenging life and at her life’s end.  She honored her father and mother with love and devotion throughout their long lives.  She was my life’s best friend and devoted mother to our son Bryce, and when he married, also to his beautiful wife Lennia.  She easily adopted her role as an engaged and loving grandmother to our grandchildren Caitlin, Aidan and Breandan.  The communities we lived in knew her as a concerned, talented, strong and giving person.  If she saw an injustice she fought to right it. Her wide group of friends knew her love and concern for them, her thoughtfulness and good sense of humor and they treasured her friendship. She always gave a quick smile and a thoughtful thank you to those who worked with her.

As age slowed her step and diminished her mind she understood and accepted her frailties while still finding promise in each day of life.  Patty was an exemplar of what a Christian should be.  She never wavered in her devotion to God and Christ his Son and she loved her family, neighbors and friends as herself.  Today we rightly look for heroes, people who by their example we, our children, or our grandchildren can follow to live good, compassionate and purposeful lives.  We Christians look to the life of Christ or the lives of the Saints for our inspiration, as we should.  However, we should also look within our family, neighbors and our community to find people like my Patty for inspiration, who by touching us help make us better people, and through their life’s work leave us in a better world.

-Thoughts of Dick May a husband who has been loved by my hero Patty, Patricia Jane Haslem.-

Visitation for Patricia will be on Thursday, December 18th from 4-8 PM at Leonard Funeral Home, 565 Duane St. Glen Ellyn. Funeral Mass will be on Friday, December 19th, 11 AM at St. Petronille Church, 420 Glenwood Ave. Glen Ellyn, livestreamed via this link https://www.youtube.com/@saintpetronille9639/streams or the button below. She will be laid to rest after mass at Assumption Cemetery in Wheaton, IL.

In lieu of flowers please consider memorial donations to Quench & Connect online at https://quenchandconnect.org or P.O. Box 60432 San Diego, CA 92166

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Patricia J. (Haslem) May, please visit our Tree Store.