The Thibos family lost its camp director on February 26, 2025. Patricia Ann (Stewart) Thibos joined her parents and brother in Heaven and left her family and friends back here grateful for her decades of love and support. She was 76 years old. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
Patti was born May 29, 1948, in New York City, and she spent her early years exploring their neighborhood with her siblings Bob, Jeanne and Jim. The bond with her sister and brothers first established her commitment to and focus on family, a bond which transcended her entire life. When her grandparents lived with their family and thereby filled their Bronx apartment, Patti and her siblings had no choice but to be outside exploring the world. From this came one of her favorite phrases, "You make your own good time!" Her Bronx mentality never left Patti, and she wasn’t afraid to bring out her Bronx accent whenever it helped her make a point.
She met Jerry Thibos in 1970, and the next 50-plus years allowed Patti’s light to shine at its brightest.
They raised three outstanding children and dedicated much of their efforts to providing opportunities and experiences to them. Patti stressed hard work, respect and discipline to her children but also had a keen sense for when to be the fun parent, whether that be randomly knocking a hole through sheet rock into the garage attic so the neighbor boys could have the coolest play area in town, planning an adventure day at the Michigan Dunes or occasionally delivering a case of beer to her kids at college. She adored her kids.
Patti didn’t believe that boredom was a real concept. There was always something to do, or experience. Be creative, use your mind and invent some fun. "So what if it's raining?” she would ask. If you didn't try hard enough to find something, there was always a chore to be done.
Beyond her family, Patti took great pride and satisfaction in making everyone feel welcome.
Friends such as the Siejas, Fleischels, Lukaszewskis, Wilsons and others were family. Newcomers were treated as if they were old friends, as she wouldn’t allow anyone to feel left out. Patti was at her happiest when everyone was together.
She truly was the camp director. She was never the loudest voice in a room, but somehow hers was often the one in charge. Whether it was an elaborate gathering or an impromptu Friday pizza night, she loved hosting. Her reward was all of the laughs, stories and memories created by those gatherings, and she cherished every one of them.
She loved creating picturesque landscapes of flowers on their properties. She loved cooking and enjoying a glass of wine. She shared her love of cooking with her kids. While she taught them that recipes are guidelines, some of her best dishes were inspired on a whim based on what was available in the fridge, and therefore tough for her kids to later replicate.
Patti helped people without hesitation. If there was a need, she felt it was her responsibility to meet it. It didn’t matter whether she had the skill to meet that need. She would volunteer to help first and figure out later how to do it, even if that meant volunteering those around her to help as well.
Patti and Jerry found their community in enjoying various lake homes over the years, as those settings created not only great memories for their family but also a chance to spend time with extended family, treasured friends and strangers who quickly became friends. Patti lined the walls of those lake homes with photos of those gatherings, and many guests enjoyed seeing themselves in those photos on return visits. In their later years, Patti and Jerry lived on the Florida coast and her daily walks along the ocean brought her peace and reflection.
Patti was preceded in death by her parents, Gerard and Irene; her brother, Bob; and her sister-in-law, Vicki.
Left to carry on Patti’s love include the true lights of her life: her husband of 53 years, Jerry; three proud children in Jonathan Michael, Stacy and Mark; six amazing grandchildren who put a twinkle in her eye: Dakota (Mia), Maddie, Connor, Keely, Taylor and Dylan; her beloved siblings, Jeanne and Jim; her children-in-law, Lisa, Mike and Julie; her nieces and nephews Julie, Christian, Alexandra and Katherine; and various extended family and close friends.
The Thibos family would like to thank all of those who provided care to and checked in on Patti in her later years. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Perry Lutheran Homes (2323 Willis Avenue, Perry, IA 50220) or the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.
