Obituary for Patricia A. Nason (Rentschler)
Patricia Ann Rentschler was the first baby born in Leesport, PA on January 12, in 1935 to Earl and Rachael Rentschler. They lived in the house of George and Ada Walborn, her grandparents. Her mother, unlike generations of women in the family, went to business school after high school graduation, and Rachael worked at the phone company until having her baby. Patricia graduated from the same high school, Ontelaunee High, in 1953 and then from Albright College before obtaining a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University.
She married Lt. Col. John Eugene "Jack" Myers on August 2, 1958 with whom she had three children: John Clark Myers (Karen) of Bellevue WA, Jeffrey Scott Myers (Dina) of Olympia, WA and Joseph Paul Myers (Nicole) of Jobstown, NJ. She was a grade school teacher, and then an Air Force wife and mother, serving as President of the Officer’s Wives Club at both KI Sawyer AFB and Fairchild AFB. She was active in the church, singing soprano in the choir and teaching Sunday School. She was honored by Who’s Who in America and named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America.
In April, 1972 she lost her first husband and on January 15, 1975 she married Chaplain Howard E. Nason in Spokane Washington. In 1977, they began a joint ministry at Columbia Congregational Church in Seattle. Their ministry continued together in Warden, Washington. But her most important work did not begin until the mid-1980s when she founded Bread Basket Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. Bread Basket Ministries has fed, clothed and ministered to tens of thousands of people, continuing to this day.
In the mid-1990s, Howard and Patricia relocated to Olympia, Washington where they continued Bread Basket Ministries and branched out into prison and street ministry. Patricia was named Volunteer of the Year at Cedar Creek Correctional Facility in 1997. Patricia continued feeding people and ministering to the homeless and imprisoned until retiring in the early 2010s.
Patricia enjoyed being in God’s Creation, particularly her glorious Mount Rainier. She enjoyed golf, gardening and especially singing hymns of worship and praise.
After battling Parkinson’s Disease in her later life, Patricia passed away peacefully on October 31, 2021 with loved ones by her side. She is survived by her three sons and two step-daughters, Heather Nason of Katy, TX and Murna Jean Passalaigue (Kevin Gray) of New Braunfels, TX. She had eight grandchildren, Stephanie Mango (Travis), Blake Myers (Cassie Cancel), Rachael McMeel (Patrick), Jenna Myers, Holly Myers, Rosie Myers, Jack Myers and Jo-Jo Myers with five great-grandchildren and two more on the way.
Services will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 1:00 pm from Leibensperger Funeral Homes, Inc., 223 Peach Street, Leesport. Burial will follow in Leesport Cemetery. A visitation with the family will be held in the funeral home Saturday 12:30 to 1:00 pm. For online condolences, please visit, www.leibenspergerfuneralhomes.com.
She married Lt. Col. John Eugene "Jack" Myers on August 2, 1958 with whom she had three children: John Clark Myers (Karen) of Bellevue WA, Jeffrey Scott Myers (Dina) of Olympia, WA and Joseph Paul Myers (Nicole) of Jobstown, NJ. She was a grade school teacher, and then an Air Force wife and mother, serving as President of the Officer’s Wives Club at both KI Sawyer AFB and Fairchild AFB. She was active in the church, singing soprano in the choir and teaching Sunday School. She was honored by Who’s Who in America and named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America.
In April, 1972 she lost her first husband and on January 15, 1975 she married Chaplain Howard E. Nason in Spokane Washington. In 1977, they began a joint ministry at Columbia Congregational Church in Seattle. Their ministry continued together in Warden, Washington. But her most important work did not begin until the mid-1980s when she founded Bread Basket Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. Bread Basket Ministries has fed, clothed and ministered to tens of thousands of people, continuing to this day.
In the mid-1990s, Howard and Patricia relocated to Olympia, Washington where they continued Bread Basket Ministries and branched out into prison and street ministry. Patricia was named Volunteer of the Year at Cedar Creek Correctional Facility in 1997. Patricia continued feeding people and ministering to the homeless and imprisoned until retiring in the early 2010s.
Patricia enjoyed being in God’s Creation, particularly her glorious Mount Rainier. She enjoyed golf, gardening and especially singing hymns of worship and praise.
After battling Parkinson’s Disease in her later life, Patricia passed away peacefully on October 31, 2021 with loved ones by her side. She is survived by her three sons and two step-daughters, Heather Nason of Katy, TX and Murna Jean Passalaigue (Kevin Gray) of New Braunfels, TX. She had eight grandchildren, Stephanie Mango (Travis), Blake Myers (Cassie Cancel), Rachael McMeel (Patrick), Jenna Myers, Holly Myers, Rosie Myers, Jack Myers and Jo-Jo Myers with five great-grandchildren and two more on the way.
Services will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 1:00 pm from Leibensperger Funeral Homes, Inc., 223 Peach Street, Leesport. Burial will follow in Leesport Cemetery. A visitation with the family will be held in the funeral home Saturday 12:30 to 1:00 pm. For online condolences, please visit, www.leibenspergerfuneralhomes.com.