Patsy "Pat" Lea (Burns) Reinoehl

Patsy ‘Pat’ Lea (Burns) Reinoehl, 69, of Blair, NE died October 1, 2018 in Elkhorn, NE surrounded by family after a courageous two-year battle with glioblastoma multiforme. She was born March 12, 1949 in Sioux City, IA. Pat was born the oldest of 9 children to Harold and Phyllis (Isom) Burns and was raised on a farm south of Laurel, NE. She graduated from Laurel Public High School in 1967 and attended Wayne State College earning bachelor’s degrees in Math and English followed by a Master’s degree. In 1971, Pat embarked on a 41-year teaching career in the Nebraska public high school system that took her to Osmond, Laurel-Concord, Emerson-Hubbard, back to Laurel-Concord and finally to Bennington where she retired in 2012. She was an assistant varsity volleyball coach at Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools and worked a short time at the University of Nebraska Northeast Research and Extension Center in Concord, NE. She enjoyed substitute teaching until her brain cancer diagnosis in 2016. Pat was a member of Lions Club, United Methodist Women, Nebraska State Teachers Association (NSEA), National Teachers of Mathematics, National Math Association, Delta Kappa Gamma Honorary Sorority and was proud to have been a lifelong blood donor. She was a problem solver who loved to engage in animated conversations that drew an absolute conclusion. Her passion for life, learning and sharing were contagious. She made learning fun. Pat loved to travel. Her greatest joys were engaging her family by watching their events, teaching them life skills or heading to the lake. Pat is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Heidi and Jason Claussen of Wayne, NE; son and daughter-in law Jared and Sara (Jones) Reinoehl of Bennington, NE; son and daughter-in-law Jeremy and Christy (Blakeney) Reinoehl of Elkhorn, NE; grandchildren Theodore and Jay Claussen of Wayne; Jaden, Ella and Addison Reinoehl of Bennington, NE; Eva, Jackson and Blakeney Reinoehl of Elkhorn, NE; siblings Jean Muller and Steve Burns of Omaha; Monte and Linda Burns, Tom and Lori Burns of Laurel; Betty and Bob Rager of Emerson; Don and Lori Burns of Norfolk; Ken and Chris Burns of Phoenix, AZ; Judy and Don Jorgensen of Randolph; brother-in-law Gary Reinoehl and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Glenna and Marvin Soucek of Verdigre, NE; many, many nieces and nephews. Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Harley Reinoehl on September 25, 2018; mother and father Harold and Phyllis (Isom) Burns; stepmother Darlene (Pigg) Burns; mother-in-law and father-in-law Eva (Kemnitz) and Gale Reinoehl; sister-in-law Esther Reinoehl; brother-in-law Daniel Pavlik; brother-in-law Herman ‘Skip’ Muller III; niece Nicole Burns and nephew Brandon Burns.