Patricia Ann Patterson Arends Staley, 88, Rapid City, passed away Thursday, August 29, 2013, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Pat was born February 2, 1925, at Winner, SD, to William and Marie Heying Patterson. The fourth of five children, she was raised on a large ranch near Mud Butte, SD. Pat attended country schools in Meade County and attended St. Martin's High School. She earned a teaching degree and moved out to Washington State at age 19 to teach at Hanford, WA. While raising a family and working full time, she completed her Master's Degree in Education and her Principal's Credentials, and taught school for 43 years, most of which was at Finley Elementary. Those that knew her could count on a tremendous sense of humor, rapid-fire wit and tireless work ethic. She was an excellent cook and hostess, always organizing large family gatherings around the holidays. She grew up dancing the jitterbug in the Depression-era dancehalls and bars of rural South Dakota and continued to enjoy swing music; indeed, she and her second husband were extraordinarily fun to watch on the dance floor. The awe she experienced after viewing the Pacific Ocean for the first time as a young woman carried over into frequent vacations to the Oregon Coast with her grandchildren, whom she adored and supported whenever possible. Gardening was another one of her passions, as was canning and preserving what she grew. A lifelong student of history and politics, she could be found reading historical texts and remained up to date on current events until her death. Survivors include her children, Mary Lou Wilson, Santa Cruz, CA; Jane Knox, Richland, WA; sons, Steve Heidi Arends, Kennewick, WA; Mike Arends, Medical Lake, WA; step-children Richard Staley, Orting WA; Kenneth Staley, Richland WA; Kathy Berg, Pasco WA; Susan Staley-Mitchell, Pasco WA; thirteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ken Staley; daughter, Virginia Arends; son, William Arends; and brother, Bill Patterson.