Patricia Ann "Patty" Weber

Patricia “Patty” Weber lived 96 years exactly as she wished: intelligently, passionately, and with opinions she never softened for the sake of comfort. She believed in curiosity, honesty, and the importance of saying what you mean. Her laughter and sense of humor filled the room, her questions sparked conversations, and her love shaped generations.

Every day felt important to Patty and she made you feel that you were key to the day being joyful. She delighted in every visit whether it was children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and especially all of the precious pets.

She taught us that a full life isn’t measured in decades alone, but in resilience, laughter, and the willingness to show up as your truest self. Her legacy is not only in her family but in every life she touched with her warmth, mischievous wit, and unmistakable presence.

Patty was born on March 19, 1929 into a family of distinguished academics, educators, and politicians in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She attended the University of North Dakota, where she was a proud member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. It was there that she met the love of her life, Edmund Weber.

Ed was a decorated, handsome all-American basketball player and their meeting was anything but ordinary. An overzealous Patty and a friend trying to get a better look at him in the campus bookstore accidentally toppled the large shelving on top of him. What should have been a moment of embarrassment became the beginning of a lifelong love affair.

When the Korean War broke out, Ed left his third year of law school at the University of North Dakota to volunteer for service in the 101st Airborne Division. While he was still serving overseas, Patty gave birth to their first child, beginning her extraordinary journey of strength and love.

Patty faithfully followed Ed through his long career in the United States Army, raising their six children across countless moves throughout the United States and overseas. Much of their life together was shaped by extended combat deployments, yet Patty created stability, warmth, and home wherever they were.

Her resilience, independence, and devoted love for her family defined these years and revealed the quiet and often difficult heroism behind military life.

Patty continued her own education throughout these years, pursuing graduate studies in African American Literature and advancing her teaching degrees. When Ed retired in 1979, they moved the family to Tempe, AZ, where Patty began the next chapter in her life.

She taught at Fees Middle School, Gilliland Middle School, and Marcos de Niza High School, bringing discipline and compassion into her classrooms. Patty took a special interest in every one of her students, with a particular tenderness for those who were disenfranchised or homeless. She made sure they felt valued, capable, and understood.

Patty and Ed were devout Catholics who lived their faith through service. Throughout their lives, they generously supported priests, nuns, and parishes, offering their time and talent. They were devoted members of the Holy Spirit Church in Tempe and worked for the St. Vincent de Paul charity for decades. Patty was an outspoken fan of Pope Francis and campaigned for years for the Catholic Church to allow priests to marry. When she was passionate about a cause, she petitioned for decades, never losing hope.

Patty read The New York Times and the Arizona Republic cover to cover every day. She reveled in discussing politics and current events and was never without an articulate solution to a modern problem. Her mind was as sharp as her spirit was lively, and conversation with her was always rich, stimulating, and memorable.

She was an ardent fan of the Phoenix Suns, knowing every player and their statistics right up until the very end. Watching games with her was pure joy and mayhem, if they were losing.

Patty was extraordinarily proud of her “110% Irish” lineage and celebrated St. Patrick’s Day not for a day, but for the full month. Her Irish spirit shone through in her humor, her warmth, and her love of Baileys and ice cream.

Above all else, Patty was most proud of her marriage to Ed, a love that began with laughter and endured with lifelong passion. She cherished the deep bond she shared with her beloved sisters, Mary Kate and Dorothy, and nothing brought her greater joy than the love of her six children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Their love was what woke her up in the morning and gave her the last comfort at night.

Patty lived a life anchored in love, faith, intellect, and joy. She leaves behind a legacy of fierce devotion, spirited conversation, laughter, and unwavering love of family. She will be deeply missed, forever loved, and always remembered.

Patty is survived by her children:

• Terry Weber and her husband, Joseph Mattioli III, of Sarasota, FL

• Nicole Weber and her husband, Andy Thacker, of Prescott Valley, AZ

• Mary Pat Butler and her husband, Rick Butler, of Phoenix, AZ

• Michelle Westbrook and her husband, Steve Westbrook, of St. Louis, MO

• Ed Weber and his wife, Jane Weber, of Chandler, AZ

• Joey Canipe and her husband, Calan Canipe, of Charlotte, NC.

Patty was an engaged grandmother to eleven grandchildren:

• Shane Westbrook of St. Louis, MO

• Kyle Westbrook of St. Louis, MO

• Reid Butler of Phoenix, AZ

• Drew Butler of Phoenix, AZ

• Samantha Caltabiano of Chandler, AZ

• Ian Patterson of Los Angeles, CA

• Galen Patterson of Los Angeles, CA

• Tristan Thacker (deceased)

• Nicole Westbrook of St. Louis, MO

• Dylan Canipe of Madison, WI

• Molly Canipe of Charlottesville, VA

Patty was blessed by seven great-grandchildren:

• Killian Thacker

• Kennedy Westbrook

• Eleanor Westbrook

• Sadie Westbrook

• Rosalie Westbrook

• Gia Caltabiano

• Summer Westbrook