Patricia A. Tomsic passed away on January 16, 2018, at the Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center in Walsenburg after an extended illness.
Patty, the only child of the late Martin and Ann Sudar, was born in Walsenburg on March 17, 1935, and was named for the holiday on which she was born. She had great affection for her hometown and its people and remained in Walsenburg all of her life.
Patty graduated from St. Mary High School in 1953. She went on to attend Loretto Heights College (now part of Regis University in Denver until her marriage on August 20, 1955, to Albert J. Tomsic, and attorney and Huerfano County representative in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Patty intended to have a career as well as a family and pursued he degree throughout the next several years, taking courses at Pueblo College and Adams State College, the latter from which she ultimately earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1962. One of her most memorable experiences was being presented with her diploma by her husband Albert, who by that time had been named Speaker of the House.
In 1964, Patty began teaching kindergarten and grades one through six at various schools in Walsenburg. She was a dedicated teacher who devoted countless long nights to grading papers and creating lesson plans. keenly aware that in her role she was a formative influence in the lives of her students. Upon her retirement from teaching in 1990 she was proud to have contributed to the development of over a generation of Walsenburg's children.
An active, longstanding member of the Walsenburg Woman's Club, Patty served two terms as president, along with holding various other club offices. In addition, she was a lifetime member of St. Mary Catholic Church.
Patty treasured the many friendships in Walsenburg that she and Albert cultivated over the years. They belonged to a local club whose member couples met monthly for dinner and card games, and they joined some of their local friends on cruises in the Caribbean and to the Panama Canal, both of which they enjoyed immensely. Patty and Albert also made several trips to visit their family in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.
Surviving Patty are her son Alan Tomsic and his wife Cindy Vardzel of Las Vegas, Nevada, and daughter Bridget Crider and her husband Gerald Crider, Jr., and grandson Gerald Crider III, all of Pueblo. Besides her parents, Patty was predeceased by Albert, who passed away on July 7, 2012, just a few weeks before their 57th wedding anniversary.
There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St.Mary Catholic Church in Walsenburg on Monday, January 22, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. Interment will take place at North St. Mary Cemetery immediately following the Mass.
To show their appreciation for the loving care that Patty received, the family requests that, instead of flowers and gifts, memorial contributions be made in Patty's honor to Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center, Attn: April Seccor. 23500 U.S. Highway 160, Walsenburg, CO 81089.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Patricia Ann "Patty" Tomsic (Sudar), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.