Patricia L. (Landes) Keast, age 84, passed away Friday, August 7, 2020 at Brandon Woods in Lawrence, Kansas.

She was born January 17, 1936 in Dodge City, Kansas to Roy C. and Sara (Gilmore) Landes the youngest of five children. After graduating from Dodge City High School in 1954, she attended Dodge City Community College and Emporia State Teachers College where she earned a teaching certificate. She began her teaching career in Ulysses, Kansas.

While working in western Kansas, Pat met and married Co-op manager Glenn L. Keast on August 7, 1959 in Dodge City, Kansas. They began their married life in Bloom, Kansas but relocated to Hazelton and then Kiowa, Kansas in the early 1960s where they raised their two children, Kelly and Stuart.

Pat continued her college education receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) in Alva, Oklahoma.

After graduating, Pat became an elementary school teacher and guidance counselor in Kiowa, Kansas. She later taught psychology and education courses at NWOSU before beginning a long career as a middle and elementary school principal in Fairview, Oklahoma and Great Bend, Kansas, and ending her career at Washington Elementary School in Ponca City, Oklahoma from where she retired.

Pat was active in every community she called home. As a 4-H leader, she taught cooking and sewing skills to area youth. While living in Kansas, she was in Eastern Star and several social and civic organizations. And in each of the several communities where they resided, she was an active member of churches. In Ponca City, where she and her husband moved in 1991, she served as an Elder Trustee for the First Presbyterian Church.

For many years, she was a devoted caregiver for her husband, Glenn, whom she lost in 1994 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

After retiring from the school system, Pat began a successful career as a caterer in Ponca City combining her love of cooking and entertaining with her artistic skills. She catered events large and small, many at the Marland Mansion in Ponca City. Her artistry shone through in the massive fruit and floral displays she created to highlight her culinary creations.

She loved entertaining and hosted many dinner parties and gatherings for her teaching staff, friends and neighbors. She catered countless dinners for her First Presbyterian Church community and for local fundraising events.

Her older sister, Telle, acted as her primary catering assistant and constant companion in many adventures in and out of the kitchen. They traveled around the country and to Europe to see landmarks and taste the local cuisine.

Beyond cooking, Pat had many interests. She was a member of the Kay County Retired Teachers Association, Red Rose Garden Club, Wall Street Ladies, Twentieth Century Club, and a women’s bridge club. She was a supporter and volunteer for the Ponca City Area Literacy Council and Art Center.

Pat was a “Master Gardener” who loved gardening and sharing her knowledge of trees, plants and flowers. She always had fresh flowers in the house, typically from her yard. She was also an avid reader, at times reading one book per day.

She enjoyed music and singing. She participated in band and choral music in high school and continued singing while attending community college. She passed her love of music on to her grandchildren and enjoyed attending their many performances over the years. She likewise loved to dance and attended ball room dancing sessions with a group of friends.

But more than anything, she led a life of service to others, both caring for her husband and later for her sister and brother-in-law as they struggled with age-related health issues. Her selflessness extended beyond familial ties. She was always one of the first in the community to deliver a meal to anyone in need. Her devotion, talent, and giving spirit will be greatly missed.

Pat is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brothers Jack Landes and Dick Landes, and her sisters Betty Earnest and Telle Miner. She is survived by her daughter Kelly Hilmes (Terry) Lawrence, Kansas, her son Stuart Keast (Pam) Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grandchildren Michael Hilmes, Tamara Hilmes, Lisa Hilmes, Amanda Hilmes, Ben Keast and Joe Keast.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held in Ponca City, Oklahoma at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Condolences may be left at www. midwestcremationsociety. com.