How It All Started
Whatever Happened To?
Patricia's brother, Henry Stack, was born the same year the King of England, Edward, abdicated his throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a commoner. After Edward and Wallis married, they became known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. This event was a big news item in its day. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor captured the hearts and imagination of the American public, too. The nurses in the hospital where Henry was born began calling him the "Little Duke" and the nickname stuck. Well, when Patricia was born, of course, the Duke now had a little sister - The Duchess. That nickname stuck with her, too. To this day, she can divide the people she knows into two categories - those who know her as Duchess, Duchie, or Duch and those who know her as Patricia, Pat, or Patty. She'll answers to all her names - even "Hey! You!" She was married, divorced, and she never married again. Ask Duchess and she'll tell you that some people just shouldn't be married - and she believes she's one of them. She's traveled and lived an exciting fun filled and adventurous single life. At age 40 Duchess quit her job to return to college to get her degree in elementary education. She taught in a Chicago Public School for nearly 20 years. The last 17 of those years, she was her school's art teacher. She believes teaching art to children was her "calling" - At Kelvyn she decorated the auditorium for various school functions. As an art teacher, almost 30 plus years later, she was still decorating an auditorium for various school functions. Duchess has retired from teaching, and she is living in Stevens Point, Wisconsin with her 94 year old mother who is sharp as a tack and still painting every day - magnificent paintings. Her greatest all time accomplishment is her 25 year old son, Tom. He lives in Stevens Point, too. Her favorite KP teachers were Mr. Higgins, Mrs. Maccallini, and Mr. Lyman. Her least favorite teacher was Mrs. Adams, the art teacher. What Duchess learned about art, she learned in college, on her own, and from her artist mother - definitely not from Mrs. Adams. Her fondest KP memories are being the Littlest Princess in the senior play, and she will never forget the euphoria she experienced when she learned that she had been voted to the KP cheerleading team as a tumbler. (I'd like to see her try to do the splits or a flip now!) Duchess is looking forward to seeing everyone at our Class of 1958 50th Reunion. She regrets not having gotten to know so many of her fellow classmates beyond a smile and a nod while passing each other in the halls of Kelvyn. She is looking forward to symbolically turning the clock back, and without teenage hang-ups, sincerely saying to her KP classmates, "It is really great to see you again!" Pat "Duchess" Stack graduated from Funston Elementary School.
