Patricia "Patter" (Davis) Bethke
Marriages
Robert H. Bethke
Burial Details
Obituaries
Vail Daily - August 17, 2004
atricia 'Patter' D. Bethke, 87, died Aug. 13 in Sarasota, Fla. She lived in Vail and Florida until two years ago, when she became a permanent resident of Sarasota.
Born May 25, 1917, in Chicago, she graduated from the University of Chicago in 1937, and she was a member of the honorary Mortar Board Society.
She married Robert H. Bethke of Chicago and was a homemaker and volunteer during much of her life. During World War II, she worked for the Office of Strategic Services in New York City, decoding secret messages.
In Vail, she was active with the Colorado Ski Museum. Her hobbies included collecting antique folk art, skiiing, tennis, golf, sewing and needlework. She and her husband also traveled extensively together.
She is survived by her sons Robert D. Bethke and wife Beth G. Anderson of Nokomis, Fla., and William M. Bethke and wife Susan of Mountain Lakes, N.J.; brother Milford H. Davis of Boulder; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. Farley Funeral Home and Crematory, Venice Chapel, Venice, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial donations may be made in her name to the Vail Alpine Garden Foundation, 183 Gore Creek Drive, Vail, 81657
