October 23, 1942 - October 25, 2024

Patricia “Pat” Eleanor (Peterson) Rissler was on born October 23, 1942, in Omaha, Nebraska as the youngest of four children to Frederick Howard and Anne Cecilia (Deveney) Peterson. Pat passed away peacefully at eighty-two years of age on October 25, 2024, at Goshen Home Care in Overland Park, Kansas. After a long battle with Alzheimer’s, she succumbed to the effects of the disease.

Pat grew up in Red Oak, Iowa where she graduated from Red Oak High School with the Class of 1960 and furthered her education at Duchesne College of the Sacred Heart in Omaha. She was working as a secretary at T.J. Murphy Company in her hometown of Red Oak where she met the love of her life, Michael “Mike” Sidney Rissler, a CPA at a Des Moines, Iowa firm, hired to audit the business. They were United in marriage on October 2, 1965, in Red Oak and settled in West Des Moines for fourteen years and eventually moved to Lenexa/Overland Park area for the remainder. They recently celebrated fifty-nine beautiful years together and were blessed with two children: Michael Scott and Michelle Anne.

Pat took great pride in her work and caring for her family. She continued her career in Des Moines as a secretary in the office of Governor Robert D. Ray of Iowa, as well as various legal firms. She took some time off to raise her children in their younger years. After relocating to Kansas, she began working at Horn Distributing, a busy family-owned restaurant supply distribution company in Lenexa. She completed her career at Indian Creek Nursing Center as a receptionist where residents would line up outside of her office for their daily visits and chats. She eventually became a “Guardian Angel” there and touched the lives of so many residents. She was a member of Holy Cross Church and later at COR (Church of the Resurrection) where she participated in small groups and did volunteer work.

Pat was always sociable from her younger years on and loved being around friends and family. While her siblings were much older, she was very close with them, especially her sister, Polly. She often reminisced about the summers spent staying with her as a teenager at the Logan Estate “the mansion” in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Polly played a big role in her upbringing. She also had a special bond with her father, Fred Howard, whom she helped care for in his later years of life.  She and Mike made many road trips back east to visit. She also adored Mike’s family. They spent much time with them while living in Iowa and made numerous trips to see them after moving. The times in Iowa, from the food eaten, stories told, and the countless card games played, were some of the most cherished memories. She also loved her trips to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada with family and testing her luck on the slot machines. She thoroughly enjoyed hosting and visiting family. She and Mike were always gathering with friends as well. Whether it was going out to eat, attending the dinner theatre, occasionally frequenting the casinos, or congregating at friends’ houses, they were always “on the go”. Pat loved to entertain and knew how to throw Christmas Eve and Super Bowl parties, and the chili was always a hit.

She was a devoted and ever-present wife and mother. She supported the many sports teams Mike coached over the years which fostered many of their endearing friendships. Not only did she attend numerous sports games, school parties and events, but she also spent many evenings proofreading and typing papers (with her mesmerizing typing skills) and was always there for advice and late-night talks. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and enjoyed going to their sports games and school events as well, while she could.

She was notorious for keeping an immaculate house and ironing sheets. While she didn’t love to cook, her tuna casserole, meatloaf and homemade mashed potatoes were second to none. As a swimmer/diver in her youth, she loved the pool, the ocean, and basking in the sun. Pat was always a dog-lover and was never without one or two as a family pet.  She was also well-known for her sweet tooth and her passion for shopping, arts and crafts fairs, and decorating (especially for the seasons). She loved to unwind with her coffee and classical music, and she never left the house without her “Pink Foil” lipstick.

Pat was also an avid Drake basketball fan (Mike’s Alma Matar). As season ticket holders for over a decade, they attended numerous games and traveled with friends to cheer them on. Her fondness for basketball continued when they moved to Kansas, and she became a dedicated KU Jayhawk Basketball fan. She was thrilled to see them win the National Championship in 1988 and 2008.

Pat is survived by her loving and dedicated husband, Mike, who gave everything of himself every day to help care for and be at her side during her illness. She is also survived by her two children: Michael Scott Rissler and wife Kristin of Shawnee, Kansas, Michelle Anne Hall and husband Jeff of Kansas City, Missouri; four grandchildren: Logan and Andrew Rissler and Carter and Trevor Hall; extended family and numerous friends. 

Preceding her in death, were her parents, Fred and Anne Peterson, and her siblings: Lois Anne Phippen, Paula “Polly” Logan, and Frederick “Pete” Peterson. 

Pat will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother, family member and friend. Her charismatic spirit, laughter and smile will always resonate in our hearts. She was truly loved and will be deeply missed by all. She was so blessed to have been surrounded and supported by such wonderful family, friends and caretakers throughout her life. Finding Goshen Home Care was a godsend, and we will be forever grateful for the upmost care she received for nearly the last five years.

A Memorial Service followed by a Celebration of Life for Patricia Eleanor Rissler will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 11am in the Wesley Chapel Building C of Resurrection Campus 13720 Roe Avenue, Leawood, KS 66224. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Alzheimer's Association:  https://act.alz.org