Patricia “Pat” Ann Knoch Emerick-Burns
Patricia “Pat” Ann Knoch Emerick-Burns, 76, of Butler passed away Friday at the VNA Inpatient Hospice in Butler due to pancreatic cancer.
Born Dec. 26, 1940, in Wilkinsburg, she was the daughter of the late William B. and Mary E. (Hummert) Knoch.
She worked at Friedman's and retired from McLane Company.
Pat was the founder and president of the diabetes program in Butler during the 1960s, where she worked on a low carbohydrate, high protein diet.
She was Presbyterian by faith and enjoyed church friendships and Bible studies. Pat was on two mission trips to Slidell, La., during the recovery of Hurricane Katrina.
She loved to read the Butler Eagle and doing its crossword puzzles in ink. She enjoyed reading and listening to Dr. Dyer and Joyce Meyer books, “The Dash,” and having daily devotional time with her Bible.
She loved working out in her own home gym and at the ARC, the SR Aebersold Student Recreation Center, with Donna and many other friends.
She belonged to the Butler Outdoor Club. Pat loved the outdoors and butterflies. She enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, hiking and sled riding.
Pat helped to lead wild flower identifying walks. She helped the original organizers of the North Country Trail. She also belonged to the Western Pennsylvania Wild Mushroom Club in Pittsburgh, where she got to know John Plischke III, writer of “Morel Mushrooms and their Poisonous Look-alikes.” She also met Gary Lincoff, a mushroom expert. Identifying mushrooms as a hobby came easy to her.
Pat will be remembered helping many more people than we know and making long term friendships, even to the end. Sharing when she had little, forgiving as it mattered most, being there for you in the end, and hoping we could all learn to fly with faith.
She is survived by her husband, James (Jamie) Burns, whom she married Nov. 15, 2003, on the North Country Trail in Jennings Nature Reserve; her son, Dwayne Emerick Sr. of Volant; and her son-in-law, Jeff Carben of Chicora; three grandchildren, Tonya Emerick, Dwayne Emerick Jr. and Bodacious Emerick; nine great-grandchildren, Annjalee Johnson, Tanna Johnson, Kalob Massaline, Nakein Justin, Kody Myers, Kameron Myers, Kylnn Colton, Cavan Green and Chevelle Green; two sisters, Billie (Chuck) Brink of Butler and Joann (Bill) Barto of Chicora; Uncle and Aunt Glade and Alice Knoch of Pittsburgh; and a number of nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two daughters, Tammy Carben and Kimberly Carben; her granddaughter, Jennifer Sorg; and a sister.
EMERICK-BURNS — A memorial service for Patricia “Pat” Ann Knoch Emerick-Burns, who died Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, will be held at noon on Saturday at the North Main Street Church of God, 1201 N. Main Street Ext., Butler.Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Edward L. Raisley Funeral Home, 387 Main St., Prospect.Memorial contributions may be made to the Seeds of Hope, 232 N. Street, Butler, Pa., 16001.To leave an online tribute, please visit www.raisleyfuneralhome.com.
