Patricia Bates
Patricia “Patsy” Sweeney Knopfel Bates, 86, of Upper St. Clair, formerly of Mount Lebanon, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Dec. 30, 2021.
Born on April 22, 1935, she was the daughter of the late Mary and Paul Sweeney.
She was the beloved wife of the late William Knopfel and David Bates.
She was the loving mother to Vernon (Dorothy) Knopfel, Valerie Knopfel and Victoria (Tom) Knopfel Colcombe.
She was the cherished Nana to William (Simi) Knopfel, Emily (Scott) Knopfel Gibbons, Sara Knopfel, Kyla Colcombe and Kasey (fiancée Sadie Kiggins) Colcombe; and the loving great-grandmother to Luke and Leena Knopfel, and Jackson and Finley Gibbons.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Janet Dickinson.
Patricia was born and raised in Butler. She then moved to Mount Lebanon, where she resided for 52 years, and became a widow at the age of 32 with three small children.
In 1979, she trained to become a travel agent, and worked as a commercial travel agent for several years. Patricia worked with her second husband, David Bates, who organized and directed a Mount Lebanon based consortium of church programs dedicated to assisting the white-collar unemployed. Their efforts were featured on network television and in local and national newspapers, including CBS and NBC National News, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, and more.
Patricia was an extremely social person, who enjoyed talking to her friends and family. She will be dearly missed by all.
BATES — A private family Mass of Christian burial for Patricia “Patsy” Sweeney Knopfel Bates, who died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, will be celebrated Tuesday at St. Bernard Parish, 311 Washington Road, Pittsburgh.
Her final resting place will be at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of PITTSBURGH CREMATION SOCIETY, McMurray.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Patricia's name to the Dementia Society of America at www.dementiasociety.org.
Please view and sign the family's online guest book at www.pittsburghcremation.com.
