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Patty
Jo Nolting (Phillips) born June 29th, 1957 Alpena, MI.
Patty and I were married in 1978 and spent 27 years together
fighting the obstacles of life on this earth. On March 13th,
2005 one of those obstacles became too great to overcome.
SLE took Patty from me much sooner than
either one of us expected. We had just returned home from
our annual ski trip
to Steamboat Springs CO when a Lupus flare sent her into the
emergency
room on February 13th, 2005. Thirty days later, my life changed
forever.
In our lifetime together, we moved 13 times
to follow my career path with a lumber company. We lived in
Bay City, MI, Syracuse, NY, Indianapolis, IN, Greenville,
SC, Marietta, GA, Panama City, FL, Fort Wayne, IN, Nashville,
IN, and finally Franklin, IN. Trying to cope with the constant
change was very demanding, and of course a true test of our
marriage. Patty was always my cheerleader, and would do whatever
it took to make each stopping point OUR home. She probably
set a new record for job changes, with the last count somewhere
around 39 +/-. When you consider her last job lasted 10 years,
it truly puts her ability to adapt in perspective.
Patty was driven to make the most of each
hour of each day. Whatever she would accomplish, in her mind,
was not enough. She couldn’t understand why her body
could not keep up with her daily plan. The joint pain would
stop her in her tracks at the worst possible times. A trip
to the local MD usually ended in frustration, rather than
answers. 18 years ago, in Panama City, FL., we got the bad
news. Patty was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE) and told her life
expectancy was around 10 years. Her doctor prescribed a regimen
of drugs (steroids) to try and keep the Lupus in check. After
a few weeks, the steroid side effects were too much. She decided
to fight this battle on her own terms. No steroids, and concentrate
on staying in shape through exercise and anti-inflammatory
drugs
for the joint pain.
For
the rest of her life, Patty would make the best of her situation.
Of course there were many bad days, but we certainly had more
good than bad. With a strong Christian faith, and support
from family and friends, Patty would take on whatever challenges
came her way. She had a rare combination of compassion with
style. When Patty had money, everyone had money. If it were
a worthy cause, she would find a way to contribute and support
their efforts. Her final gift was donating her earthly body
to science at Indiana University Hospital. 250+ people attended
her Memorial service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Franklin,
IN. Many people will miss her smile, but no one more than
me.
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