Patricia Ruth Stewart Bayer passed away April 16, 2019. Anticipating the inevitability of this event more than 20 years ago, she left her children instructions on how to handle her aftermath. True to her degree in journalism she instructed us on how to handle her aftermath. Pat instructed us to “tell people of what (and/or why) I died, when I died, where it happened. You are even allowed to be funny.” In that spirit: Of What She Died: Idiopathic old age, i.e. she just wore out Why She Died: Because it was exactly her time. When She Died: April 16, 2019, at 6:11 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Where It Happened: Room 244, Medical Center of Aurora, 1501 South Potomac, Aurora, Colorado. Given her love for Denver, she would likely be upset that she died in Aurora. Pat Bayer was, by all accounts, an amazing woman. Not to slight her parenting skills, she was destined to work for a living at a time when that was rare for women, especially to the degree to which she accomplished her career. She graduated from South High School in Denver and obtained a degree in Journalism from CU all before she turned twenty. She met her husband and the father of her children in Yellowstone during the summer of 1947, they were married in December of 1948 and had their first child, Jeffrey Thomas on January 9, 1950. Their petulant problem child Richard Stewart was born July 7, 1951 and the belle of the ball Linda Suzanne was born February 17, 1954. All of her children have survived her passing along with 6 grandchildren and five (soon to be six) great-grandchildren. Her first career stint was as a writer and editor for Electronic Design News (EDN) in 1963. Within two years she won a prestigious national award for her reporting in an age when women didn’t win those kinds of awards. From her boss at the time: “Pat was an inspiration to a lot of women in her career in publishing and public service. Unfortunately, the male management at the publishing company forced us to use her initials P. S. and would not let others know she was female, even to the point of not allowing her photo to be placed next to any materials she wrote. Also, when she received a prestigious publishing award for some of her work, the "company" had one of our guys, accept it for her. He was a little miffed and announced at the award ceremony he was accepting it for Ms. Patricia S. Bayer, which almost got the three of us released.” She left EDN and Cahners Publishing to be the communications director for the American School Foodservice Association. She was promoted to the Executive Director of the organization and moved to Washington, D.C. She headed up a famous five-year ASFSA campaign using the slogan “You Are What You Eat” directed at more nutritious school lunches. She served in the first Bush Administration as a Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for School Lunch Programs. She started a company called The Communicators, a company active in all kinds of public relations but mainly focused on politics and political campaigns. She had a long and varied career in Colorado (mostly Republican) politics, starting with her position as campaign manager for her son Dick’s bid to be the 7th Grade Boy President of the Thomas Jefferson Junior Senior Highschool in 1963. She spent nights writing “stick with dick” on masking tape that was displayed throughout the school. She was a craftswoman, starting with designing and decorating card table covers that gave kids (like us) instant playhouses. She painted in oils and acrylics. She owned a large loom on which she made curtains and things for the house. She was an accomplished bridge player, a renowned hostess and active in her church, St. Stephens of Aurora. She completed the Episcopalian four year lay leadership program in “Education for the Ministry” resulting in a certificate from the University of the South (Sewanee), served two terms on the vestry at St. Stephens and spear-headed fundraising for the successful addition to the Church. When she finally passed, it was very peacefully. It was a welcome surprise for her children because they had anticipated that a woman of such phenomenal energy and purpose, would have to explode in a human meteor shower. But her energy was dissipated by the grace of her passing and for that, we are all very thankful. A celebration of Pat’s life is planned for July 27, 2019 at her church, St. Stephen’s of Aurora.