Patricia (Leone) McLane LaRue
July 29, 1941 - July 22, 2023
Patricia McLane LaRue, 81, of Northville, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2023 at Addington Place of Northville with Parkinson’s Disease.
She was born on July 29, 1941 as the oldest of two daughters to the late Warren and Verna (Michlewski) Leone in Detroit, Michigan.
Pat was a 1959 graduate of Redford High School in Detroit. After attending Wayne State University for two years, she transferred to Mercy College of Detroit graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Record Library Science.
After working in her field for seven years as a registered record librarian in area hospitals and the Veterans Administration in Allen Park, Pat taught at Mercy College and then joined the staff at Schoolcraft College in Livonia as a teacher in 1972. While teaching at Schoolcraft, she attended Eastern Michigan University and received a Master’s degree in 1974.
Pat also taught at Henry Ford Community College having signed a contract with the Dearborn Public Schools system in September, 1985, as a Medical Records Technology Instructor retiring in 2005. Retirement to Pat meant only slowing down as she returned to Schoolcraft College part time for the next seven years at the main campus and the Radcliff Center in Garden City.
She also developed and taught the first on-line medical records class at Schoolcraft but missed teaching while standing on her feet in front of a class. Pat was known for being an excellent, knowledgeable instructor with a great sense of humor with jokes told to her classes. She will also be remembered by colleagues and students alike as a mentor having very much enjoyed finding jobs for her students after graduation.
Music was also a big part of Pat’s life having played the piano since age ten and the hammered dulcimer since 2000. She enjoyed attending music festivals in Evart and Midland, Michigan and playing in group settings in the Northville area.
Pat had a kind and gentle soul and was a friend to animals and loved many pets over the years and especially cats.
Reading books and belonging to the book club at her church, cooking in the kitchen, doing crossword puzzles and playing card games were also some of her favorite things to do. She always found something to keep herself busy.
Above all else, the source of Pat’s greatest joy came from raising her son, Greg McLane, and spending quality time with her grandchildren, nieces and nephew. She will be greatly missed by Greg, his wife Dr. Katherine Gold (Katy); grandchildren Carina, Lisette and Avery; nephew Adam Kurtinaitis; niece Dana Piccoli of Vancouver, Washington as well as her loving husband of twelve years, Chris LaRue.
Pat is also survived by her sister, Linda Piccoli of Greer, South Carolina; Emily and Sara Kurtinaitis and brother-in-law Guido Piccoli.
After not seeing each other for over fifty years, Pat and Chris re-met at the Redford High School 50th reunion on September 26, 2009. They began dating two days later and Chris thought that Pat was the most easy going and sweetest woman he had ever met and Pat seemed like she might be interested in Chris too.
They had known each other since 6th grade but didn’t live in the same neighborhood and only saw each other at school. With all the relationship experience they had acquired over many years, they knew a good thing when they saw it.
They fell deeply in love with each other and started looking for and buying a larger home for all their stuff in January, 2011. Joining two households required more square footage. They were married on June 26, 2011 in front of family and friends at the church Pat had attended for over 30 years. They both had saved the best for last.
When Pat filled out her funeral arrangement papers in April, 2014, under “messages to loved ones”, she wrote;
My love, my life – you Chris. How fortunate I have been to find you again. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for the support, trust, laughter and happiness we shared. See you….all my love, Pat.
Even with Pat’s illness, Chris feels the same about Pat and believes this has been the best thirteen years of their lives.
Pat has been cremated and Chris will place her ashes in a lake of her choosing. Our family has already begun celebrating her life privately.
May her sweet soul rest in peace in Heaven for all eternity.
Arrangements are by the L.J. Griffin Funeral Home of Northville, MI. Share your condolences with the family on the Guestbook Page.