Patricia Jean "Pat" Heffernan

It is with great sadness that our family announces the passing of our beloved mother Patricia (Pat) Heffernan at the age of 86. Pat was born February 12, 1934 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Peter and Anna Stygar. She passed away on February 6, 2021 at Belton Regional Medical Center.

She grew up in Eau Claire with her loving parents, brother Bob Stygar, sister Kitty Nauman and close extended family which included a special cousin, Dave Gibson. She had an adventurous and independent spirit, she moved to Chicago with girlfriends after finishing high school.

Chicago is where she met the love of her life, Robert (Bob) Heffernan who was working as a recruiter for the USMC. A perfect match, Pat was the life of the party while Bob was the strong, quiet type, both devoted Catholics with strong family values. They married on November 13, 1954 and quickly started their family. They raised five children while crisscrossing the country with Bob’s career with the USMC and the National Weather Service. After the kids were grown and while living on Hatteras Island in NC, she worked as an EMT ensuring people received compassion and critical medical care while being transported to hospitals on the mainland over three hours away.

Pat had an unmatched capacity for finding joys in simple things. She adored puppies, popcorn and the color purple. She loved her family most of all, even more than she loved chocolate. She touched many peoples lives and loved making people smile, she even performed as a clown in local parades and at birthday parties to bring joy to others. She brought that same clownish energy into her daily life--wide-eyed and a little mischievous. Many people grow more cynical with age, but her capacity for delight grew. She was a devout Catholic and had been active in her church choir for many years, even singing once for the Pope at the Vatican.

She will be missed dearly but her family takes comfort knowing she is reunited with her beloved husband, Bob, of 66 years. They enjoyed a wonderful life together making friends everywhere they went. After retirement, they purchased a RV and traveled across the country with camping clubs, making new friends and seeing new places.

She is survived by her children Mike (Anna), Thomas (Sharon), Bob (Linda), Pete (Nancy), and Theresa (Charlie), and her eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested random acts of kindness on her birthday, Friday February 12, or donations to Wayside Waifs to recognize her generosity and love for animals.

The family is grateful to her loving friends and the dedicated staff at Foxwood Springs Community where she has enjoyed living the last several years. She loved you all dearly.

Visitation will be 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 25, 2021 with Mass following at 10:00 a.m., at St. Sabina Catholic Church, 700 Trevis Avenue, Belton, Missouri. Inurnment will take place at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery, 20109 Business Highway 13, Higginsville, Missouri, 64037, on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.