Mary Patricia “Pat” Schima

Mary Patricia “Pat” Schima

Cedar Rapids

Mary Patricia “Pat” Schima (neé Foley) died peacefully on January 22, 2024, surrounded by family. Born in Chicago and raised in Sterling, IL, Pat was the loving daughter of George Francis and Mary (Welch) Foley and favorite sister of Maureen (Norton). Her cousin Don Hilliker was her closest childhood companion and, along with his wife Ky, a lifelong friend.

Pat graduated from Newman Catholic High School in Sterling and Barat College of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, IL. She met Edward Schima, the love of her life, at a Barat social in 1962 and married him in 1966. Pat and Ed lived in Ipswich, UK; Boston, MA; and Rochester, MN, before moving to Nebraska in 1975. They raised their three children in Omaha, and Pat developed a deep and lasting affection for her adopted hometown. Pat and Ed’s love of books and travel and delight in banter sustained a marriage lasting 57 years.

In the 1980s Pat went back to school and received a master’s in English from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She shared her love of poetry and literature with her children, instilling in them a deep appreciation for the humanities. She enjoyed music, and often said that her favorite memory of her time with Ed was going to hear live performances with him at small venues around town.

Pat enjoyed book clubs and playing bridge with her friends from Howard Road. She adored dogs, particularly her two Irish Wheaten terriers, Beckett and Seamus. She loved iced tea and egg salad sandwiches and apple crisp. And she was an extraordinarily devoted caregiver to her husband Ed, sitting by his bedside every day during the long years of his final illness.

Pat is survived by her three children, Jenny, Susie (Craig Forman), and Stephen (Amelia Buttress); her sister Maureen and her sister-in-law Mary Jane (Schima) Junge; and her beloved grandchildren Allie, Emma, Ben, Will, and Milan. She will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.

A Mass of Christian burial and interment will take place in late spring or early summer in Sterling, IL. Donations in Pat’s name can be made online to Hospice of Mercy in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.