Obituary of Patricia Marie Johannes

Patricia Marie Bingley Johannes died on June 23, 2025 at the age of 85.  Patricia was a farm girl at heart her entire life ~ with that heart full of great love for her fellow earth travelers, most especially her close and extended and unofficially adopted families.

Patricia was born on a hot summer day in the small bedroom of a farm in Burlington, Michigan, July 16, 1939 to loving and always supportive parents, Darol and Ivah Funk Bingley. She lived in Burlington until she attended college, being the first female in both sides of the family to do so and graduate. Patricia received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University at the age of 20.  She taught early elementary children for 18 years and retired from teaching to farm with her husband Eugene Johannes, to whom she was married for 64 years. (who preceded her in death.) 

 They raised two children on their farm, and she is survived by them: Gregory (Cathrine) Johannes and Laura (John) Wisniewski, as well as her beloved grandchildren, Christopher and Nicholson Johannes. She is also survived by her best friend and sister Susan Bingley Katz, her brother, George (Liz) Bingley, her sister-in-law Jane Vaught, and many cousins, nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents and a foster brother, Charles Kirkpatrick, and her beloved Westie dog angels who greeted her at the Rainbow Bridge.

Patricia touched so many lives in such positive, loving ways. Former students, now adults, told her how she loved and cared about them as a teacher. Her love of music was known by all.  She sang in several choirs, was a church pianist, and led children’s choirs.  For many years she found great joy and was well known as an assistant carillonneur at Michigan State University’s Beaumont Tower Carillon, playing weekly (or sometimes three times a week) noon recitals.  She especially enjoyed singing in Kol Halev, the choir of Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor, Michigan and the MSU Choral Union.  Patricia also volunteered many hours at WKAR-TV and Radio, for the MSU Museum and ALFA of East Lansing.  She was a true Spartan. For many years she edited and formatted papers for the Food Security Group in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. Her work as an editor touched the lives of many, especially friends in Africa who held a special place in her heart.

One of her favorite quotes was “Whether a man really loves God can be determined by the love he bears toward his fellow men.” - Levi Yitzhok, quoted in Buber, "Tales of the Hasidim."   Patricia had a deep faith in and now dwells with God, her angels, and is singing hymns of praise with her many beloved relatives who preceded her in death.

Patricia said: "Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you. I love you so....  'Twas heaven here with you."  Isla Paschal Richardson. And she added, "My dear family, I truly loved you all with all my heart...  whether you are my blood families, my Kirkpatrick families, or my 'unofficially adopted' families, and I loved and cared for many, many friends around the world.

1 Corinthians 13:13  (English Standard Version)  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. This is how Patricia tried to live her life.

Memorials may be made to the Great Lakes Westie Rescue, 5843 State Road 205, Garrett, IN 46738 (www.glwrescue.org/donate) or to a shelter for the homeless. To sign online guestbook, visit www.cremationsocietymidmi.com  Arrangements made with the Cremation Society of Mid Michigan.