Patricia Gerich Slovak
Patricia Gerich Slovak, lovingly known as Patsy and Grandma Pat, passed through this life to meet her maker on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, after battling with breast cancer that metastasized to her bones after 2 years of remission. Throughout this struggle that began in 2018, she kept her head up, remaining positive and accepting her fate without complaint.
Pat was born to a large Czech family of 10 children, five brothers and 4 sisters. She was known to be the strong, stubborn one, always hardworking and loving... and felt it was her duty to keep everyone in line and always doing the “right” thing. She was proud of her Czech heritage, and often attended PolkaFest, WestFest, Sokol Hall events, and was member of KTJ, KJZT and KC Hall. Pat was also a member of St John’s Nepomucene Church of Ennis; and attended St John’s Catholic School from elementary until she transferred to Ennis High School, where she graduated in 1972. She spent 2 years at Navarro College, earning an Associate Degree in Business, which jump-started her career of 15 years at EBF, followed by 24 years with SWB/ ATandT, which she retired from in 2010.
Pat married Mickey Kubelka in 1978, and then in 1986, they were blessed with their only child, Suzanne... whom they enjoyed spoiling and sparring with! Pat and Mickey divorced in 1994, and she met Danny Slovak in 1996, who has been faithfully by her side for the past 25 years... sharing in her love of gardening and camping.
Pat called herself a “country girl” loving country music and country living, learning to drive a tractor at age 6, and taking care of her pet skunk! Her country roots stayed with her throughout her life, as her favorite pastimes were gardening, picking pecans and berries, tending to her dog, Bonnie, her cats and her pigeons, and hundreds of plants. Her favorite form of traveling was jumping in the RV and going camping, and she especially loved the mountains and pine trees of Colorado.
Pat leaves behind her husband of 25 years, Danny Slovak, brother Raymond and wife Cindy, brother Edward Gerich and wife Teresa, brother Emil Gerich and wife Leona, sister Dorothy Gerich and husband Mitch Baltuch, daughter Suzanne McGinnis and husband Neil, granddaughters Hannah, Portland and Ares, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Pat was preceded in death by her mom, Annie Horak Gerich, her dad, Bob Gerich, sisters: Margaret Haskovec, Vicky Johnson, Anna Lou Jones, and brothers: Wesley and Stanley Gerich. If Pat could speak to us right now, she would tell us not to grieve for her, as she had a good life, and that a piece of her will live on in her child and grandchildren. She would tell us to be comforted in the memories shared over the years, and to remind her Husband, daughter and granddaughters how much she loved them.
Viewing will be Tuesday July 5, 2022, starting at 10 a.m. followed by a Rosary at 7 p.m.
Funeral will be Wednesday July 6, 2022, at 10 a.m. All events will be at Boze Mitchell Mckibbin Funeral home of Ennis. Interment will follow at Saint Joseph Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Boze Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home, 800 South Kaufman Street, Ennis, Texas 75119 972-878-2211
