Patricia Byrne Rees

Lafayette - A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 A.M. on October 13, 2018, at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge for Patricia Byrne Rees, 91, who was born to eternal life on Monday, October 8, 2018. Interment will follow in St Bernard's Cemetery #1 directly behind the Church following Mass. Father John Gary Schexnayder will be the Celebrant. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at St. Bernard's in Breaux Bridge from 10:00 A.M. until 11:30 A.M. on October 13, 2018 (before Mass). Mrs. Rees (aka Mom, Grandma, Aunt Pat, Pat, Miss Pat, and Mrs. Rees) was born on January 25, 1927 to the late Robert Emmet Byrne and Anna McLaughlin Byrne. She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, attending St. Stephen's School and The Academy of The Sacred Heart on St. Charles Avenue, where she played as a guard on the six-on-six girls’ basketball team and excelled academically, especially as a writer and literature student. After attending LSU on a Chemistry scholarship, Patricia moved to Annapolis, Maryland to be near her midshipman fiancé, Grover Joseph Rees Jr. of Breaux Bridge. (She later graduated from what was then the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1985 at the age of 58, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.) Grover and Patricia were married on June 10, 1950 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in New Orleans and had twelve children over the next eighteen years. They moved frequently in connection to Grover's service with the Marine Corps, living in Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Maryland. They returned to Louisiana in 1974. Survivors include her sister Catherine Byrne Nieto; her children Grover Joseph Rees III (Lan Dai Nguyen Rees), Robert Byrne Rees (Sally Billeaud Rees), John Murphy Rees (Linda Lough Rees), Stephen Gregory Rees (Maline Trahan Rees), Kathleen Ann Rees Shires (Edward Shires), Charles Andrew Rees, Margaret Mary Rees Crain (David Crain), Thomas Matthew Rees (Dane Winters), Daniel Anthony Rees (Kay Sibille Rees), Mary Elizabeth Rees, James McLaughlin Rees (Jeannine Lanoux); her thirty-six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband Grover Joseph Rees Jr.; her brother, Robert Emmet Byrne Jr.; her sisters, Sister Margaret Byrne of the Cenacle Order and Betty Nugent of Pineville; and her youngest son Richard Claude Rees of Lafayette. During the final days of her life Patricia saved her strength in order to communicate with her children and grandchildren who had gathered to be close to her: "Never Forget Love", "Hold on To God", and "Yes, Jesus" were among her last directives. She also left a copy of her own obituary, written as an assignment in a creative writing class that she took at the age of 74. It is included here because it expresses her humor and spirit in a way that has brought much comfort to her children and grandchildren. We trust that her many friends will enjoy this. My Obituary Patricia Byrne Rees October, 2001 I stare at the blank screen, helpless. How does one write an obituary? And why would I want to write my own obituary? This is a dumb assignment. I hate anything that makes me feel helpless. I suppose I start with my name and then the beloved part-- "Patricia Byrne Rees" (Pretty good so far, huh) then comes the hard part: "beloved wife of Grover Joseph Rees, Jr." nah, that's not exactly right. I wonder if it is ok to just say "wife of"--I'm not real sure about that beloved part. Ok, a long time ago it was beloved but after 51 years? I'm not even sure I can even honestly get away with a beliked wife of. Ok, we'll stick with the usual beloved. Next comes the date and time and place: "at her residence, at 11 pm on Sunday" (better stop now and go get a calendar. As long as I am creating this document I am free to choose the month, day and -best part- the year. I'll give myself five more years. Then I'll be 79. No one in my family has ever lived to be 80. I sure don't want to break the mold there. I do not want to hang around too long, unable to do much, just waiting to die; everyone having to take turns caring for me or visiting me in my carefully chosen, boring, too expensive nursing home. Nope, dying at 79 seems like a better option. Life at 75 still feels full and fun. I probably can keep this pace up for 5 more years and then hope God is listening when I say, "OK, God, I'm about finished now. Beep me up." I'll pick a Sunday night, so the grandkids will be happy--that way they get at least 2 days off of school. If the family insists I have a funeral, March or October are good months for funerals. Probably sunny and a little warm. (I do hate the thought of being left out in the cold.) Can't pick summer months and interfere with the children's vacations. And avoid Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter vacations. This business of picking my own death day is getting complicated. And it is past midnight. And I can't find a five-year calendar. I'll just make up a date: "Sunday, March 12, 2006. A native of New Orleans, LA and a resident of the world for 79 years, she was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Emmet Byrne and Anna McLaughlin Byrne, and one brother, Robert Emmet Byrne, Jr." (That seems pretty impersonal. It doesn't let people know that my father preceded me in death by 71 years. I can still remember my 4-year-old feeling of raging abandonment the day my mother told us our Dad had died. There were five of us, ranging in age from 2 to 9. Nor does it tell the story of a magnificently loving mother who kept us healthy, happy and complete; a mother who spent the rest of her life caring for her children, grandchildren, and any other needy person who crossed her path. My mom died at 78--still active and generous and very beloved. But this is not her obit, it is mine. So, let me get on with it.) "A memorial service will be held at the Cajun Dome." Instead of a funeral, if I have it my way. "Mrs. Rees is survived by 12 children: Grover Joseph III, Robert Byrne, John Murphy, Stephen Gregory, Kathleen Ann, Charles Andrew, Margaret Mary, Thomas Matthew, Daniel Anthony, Mary Elizabeth, James McLaughlin, and Richard Claude. (Again, only names. There is no way to tell the thousands of stories to be told about each wonderful, funny, loving, joy-giving life. The books to be written, the memories of each lifetime. The library of Family. So, I list their names. And I thank God for them, my true blessings.) She is also survived by 32 grandchildren (maybe by 2006 there will be more than 32.) and three cherished sisters. Sister Margaret Mary Byrne, RC, Jane Elizabeth Nugent, and Catherine Gertrude Nieto and numerous nieces and nephews." Sisters--friends of my childhood. Comforts of my old age. (Darn, this leaves out so many of my favorite people, My daughters-in-laws who are my closest friends. But with a family the size of mine I suppose I can't list everyone.) Now, I think I'm supposed to expound on my virtues, tell how wonderful I was. I tried to get a little help with this from my children. Futile. My daughter Mary, jokingly said, "Tell them you were ok. You bugged us a lot. But overall you were ok." Maline, my daughter-in-law, said, "Tell them you were great." That's all the help I got so I suppose I can close this with saying: "Mrs. Rees will be missed by her family because she was an OK, great, bugger." AMEN Should friends desire, contributions can be made in Pat's honor to the Richard Claude Rees Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Acadiana http://cfacadiana.org/contribute-to-a-fund or a charity of your choice. Pellerin Funeral Home (337-332-2111) is in charge of arrangements.