Patricia Errington Schnack

PATRICIA ERRINGTON SCHNACK

Iowa City

Patricia Errington Schnack passed away on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, surrounded by her family. Pat had defeated lung cancer for 12 years.

Visitation for family and friends will be held Thursday, Dec. 30, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. The family requests that masks be worn by all attendees.

In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to the Iowa Women's Foundation, Friends of the Iowa City Public Library Foundation or Iowa City Hospice.

Pat was born Jan. 5, 1942, in Northfield, Minn., the daughter of Charles Francis Errington and Lois Joy Benjamin. She received a B.A. from Cornell College in Mount Vernon and an M.A. in library science from the University of Iowa.

Pat taught English in the Iowa City Community School District for 27 years, at both City and West High Schools before finding her home at South East Junior High. Pat also taught rhetoric and English methods at the University of Iowa, and English as a second language across the globe from China to Poland.

Pat advocated creatively for reading and literacy. Many people remember the weekly book reviews she gave on the radio. At South East, Pat founded the nationally recognized "Partners in Reading" program which paired hundreds of students with community members reading their favorite books together. No one had a conversation with Pat without her asking, "What are you reading today?"

Pat was one of Iowa City's first teachers to earn National Board Certification. She received the Paul E. Hellwege Guardian of Integrity Award from the Rotary Club of Iowa City AM, the Old Capitol Area Reading Council Award for excellence in promoting literacy among area youth and the Iowa Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy Award. She was also an Ovation honoree of the Iowa Women's Foundation.

As a member of the Rotary Club of Iowa City AM, she was especially proud of helping to build and stock a library in Xicotepec, Mexico and of administering polio vaccines to children in a rural village in India. Pat's other memberships include the Iowa Women's Foundation, P.E.O. Chapter K.P., NN Club, Stock Club, Poetry Salon, Neighborhood Book Group, Thursday Sunrise Book Discussion Group and the University Women's Monday Morning Book Club (where she had been a member for the last 54 years!).

Pat's three greatest passions were family, books and traveling. She was most happy when she could combine these passions, joining book tours in Iceland and Ireland or traveling with her grandchildren around the world.

The family would like to extend their appreciation to the doctors and staff at UIHC for their outstanding, compassionate care, with special thanks to Dr. Taher Abu Hejleh.

Pat is survived by her husband, Ronald; her son, Eric with wife Kathy, granddaughters, McKenna and Rebecca and grandson, Nicholas; her son, Michael with husband Paul; her son, Jeffrey with wife Chikako and granddaughter, Alisa; and her son, Steve with wife Katherine and grandsons, William and Joseph.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents and two stepfathers, Ray Nash and John Schumm.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lensingfuneral.com.