Patrick M. Liste

Patrick M. Liste passed away peacefully at his home with his loving daughters by his side at 7:40 am on  Thursday May 28, 2015 after a very long and brave battle with multiple chronic and debilitating medical issues. He was born on August 28, 1936 in his home at 611 Mason St. in Niles, Ohio. In 1940 at four years of age, he went to live in Warren, Ohio where in his school years he attended Dickey Ave. School, Laird Ave. School, East Jr. High, Harding High and then subsequently graduated in 1954 from Warren St. Mary’s High School. He played football at Harding and at St. Mary’s. where he was also cast in their school spring theater. 

During junior high and high school, he worked at Muccio Brothers Produce Store, The Stanley Works in Niles, and the Miracle Food Market in Niles.

After high school, he went to work at Packard Electric and then to Republic Steel as an electrical apprentice in August 1955. In 1957 to 1961, he went into the Air Force where he received many accolades for his service in Strategic Air Command. He spent temporary duty time in Alaska where he worked among the officers that flew the U-2 Spy planes, worked on the Top Secret Sac Doctrine, and was paid extra to operate a theater in Ptarmigan Hall for the B-47 Bomber Alert Forces along with the KC-97 officers and men.

Upon getting his service discharge, he returned to Republic Steel where he completed the Electrical Apprentice Program. After six months working as a construction electrician, he was asked to be a foreman in the Electrical Construction Dept. He was involved in many new construction jobs that kept the Niles, Warren and Newton Falls (Ideal Foundry) up to date. After several successful years, he went to the Blast Furnace and Coke Plant as an Assistant General Foreman in electrical maintenance. The Blast Furnace underwent several updates during his tenure and he was there when many iron pouring tonnage records were set.

He was asked to teach at the Republic Steel Education Institute in Niles where he taught electrical programs for eight years.

He was then put solely in charge of the electrical section of the Warren Cole Plant. After eight years there he was again promoted to the Electrical Maintenance Department of the Niles Plant. There he was promoted to General Foreman of the Electrical Mill and the Bar Mill, also sitting in for the Youngstown Plant General Foreman in his absence.

When he retired from Republic Steel aka LTV, he was certified to teach a high school program at what is now known as TCTC where he was awarded Teacher of the Year in 1989 for the electrical programs in the state of Ohio.  While at the vocational school, he went to Columbus to assist in writing the Lab Instructional Program Book for the electrical programs taught in the state of Ohio. During his third year of teaching he was requested to assist the professors in teaching the summer program for the certification of first and second year vocational school teachers in Ohio. 

He taught for ten years then fully retired at age 58 in 1994.

On June 29, 1963, he married Mary Arlene Merlo whom he had known for many years and had previously dated. They were married for 47 years until she passed away after bravely fighting cancer for 18 years.

They spent one month honeymooning by traveling by car in a 1958 Chevy Malibu through the West hitting St. Louis, Kansas City, Abilene, Kansas, Salina, Wichita, Dodge City, then into Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, then onto Nevada to visit casinos in Las Vegas, and to Hoover Dam, then onto Route 66 through the desert to California where they visited Hollywood, Knotsberry Farm and Disney Land. When they returned home, they settled on North Road in Niles.

Their marriage gave them two daughters, Arlena Marie and Jolene Louise. After living as a family on North Road, they built and moved into a home on Bonnie Brae and from there the two daughters were educated from grade school to college. After the girls left, Patrick had a house built in 1998 that was more suitable to Mary Arlene who by then had begun her battle with cancer. 

During the years of his marriage and raising his daughters, he was very active in Mt. Carmel Church as a member of the Readers and Lecterns , teaching CCD, and the Liturgy Committee. He was also Chairman of the Bicentennial Flag Committee, where he and his wife put on many flag programs in the community which he then donated these wonderful flags to the Niles Historical Society. He also was on the YMCA Board where he was instrumental  in the funding of the YMCA building on 422 in Niles. He was president of the Friends of the Library Committee for the  Niles McKinley Memorial Library.

Patrick enjoyed traveling and while the children were young, he would always take his vacation from work the last two weeks in August. Though they had many  vacation places, Coshocton was his favorite where they celebrated Canal Days, a historical festival. After retirement, he and his wife were able to travel more and went to California, Kansas, Italy, Myrtle Beach, Arizona, Hawaii, Northern National Parks from Iowa to Montana, Las Vegas, and took multiple “daycations” to hot spots in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Through the years, he reconnected with many of his old Air Force buddies and along with his wife was able to attend many Air Force reunions throughout the U.S. and was Vice President of the reunion in 2010 that occurred one month after his wife passed away and in which his daughter Arlena went with him in her place.

Patrick loved to garden and when his health began to limit his activity, he enjoyed planting a patio garden. He loved planting his own seeds and started growing them in a plastic heat tracing cable embedded in the dirt. His seeds were planted at the end of March and were able to thrive even on the coldest day with the cable warming the soil.

 He also loved writing Warren Tribune Letters to the Editor. He was very patriotic, had strong political convictions and opinions and was an avid fan of Fox News. 
 
In his final days before Patrick lost his ability to communicate, he was able to tell his daughters that he was a success only because of them. Like their mother, family was of utmost importance, through the bad and the good and through sickness and in health.  Left to cherish his memory are his two daughters, Arlena Rich of Howland and Jolene Booher(Steven Beckman) of Howland, his lady friend Nadine Pearson of Mentor, Ohio and his beloved cat Liz. He also leaves behind his sister Mary Theis and her four children, Rick, Sherry, Janice and Lisa; multiple great nieces and nephews; one great- great neice and one great-great nephew, his brother-in-law Joseph Merlo (Ginny) and sister-in-law Ceal Merlo.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Arlene who passed away on August 6, 2010, his parents Joseph and Louise Liste, his wife’s parents Russ and Lena Merlo and his brother-in-law Raymond Theis.

The family wishes to express their gratitude for the loving and compassionate care provided by MVI Hospice and by his private caregivers Randi, Diane, Kim, Sharon and Brooke. The family also wishes to thank Lane Ambulance Co. “Lift Assist” staff who were always professional, courteous and efficient.

Per Patrick‘s request, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any animal charity of your choice. 

Also per Patrick’s request, friends and family may visit two hours prior to the noon service Monday June 1st which will be held at Blessed Sacrament Church In Warren, Ohio with his life long friend Fr. Thomas McCarthy officiating. Burial will be in Pineview Cemetery.

Arrangements are being handled by The Joseph Rossi and Sons Funeral Home in Niles.

Family and friends can light a candle, sign the guest book, and send e-mail condolences at www.josephrossifuneralhome.com.
“I can fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings.”

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