Patricia passed away unexpectedly after a fall sometime before her 88th birthday which would have been May1 6. Patricia was born in Saint Louis County, MN in 1936. Her parents moved to California in 1940. After graduating Patricia moved back to the Midwest and lived most of her life in Wisconsin where she raised four children.
May 16, 1936 – March 18, 2024
Patricia “Pat” Larson Kummings Rascoe (nee Finnelly), 87, a former Kenosha County resident, passed away surrounded by the beauty of the mountains and the love of her four children and husband on March 18, 2024 in Genoa, NV.
Born in Duluth, MN on May 16, 1936 to Leonard (Pat) and Emeline Finnelly (nee Becker), her family later moved to San Diego, California and then to Trona, California near Death Valley. Both her parents worked at Kerr-McGee.
Pat graduated from Trona High School as Valedictorian and then attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in June of 1956. She then moved to Chippewa, WI and stayed with family while attending UW-Eau Claire. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Minor in French in July of 1958.
It was in Eau Claire where she met her future husband Bruce Thomas Larson from York, WI. They married on February 7,1959 in Chippewa Falls, WI. They moved to Kenosha County in 1961 where Bruce worked at American Motors. Pat and Bruce went on to have four children: Laura, Wanda, Eric and Diana. They divorced in 1980.
For over 30 years, Pat taught English at Westosha Central High School. She taught freshmen and seniors, with most of the classes for seniors being Advanced Placement classes. She served as head of the English department for several years and also acted as an advisor for the high school newspaper, yearbook, cheerleading, and many other student activities.
As a lifelong learner, Pat went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Education, Classroom Guidance and Counseling from Carthage College in 1983.
On March 21,1987, Pat married Dr. Donald D. Kummings, an English Professor at UW-Parkside in Kenosha. Throughout their 30 years of marriage, they traveled extensively, including trips to Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, Asia, South America, Central America and the Middle East. Pat loved to go on these adventures and visited Africa twice, enchanted by the people and the wildlife.
Don lost a very courageous battle with cancer on November 10, 2017. He died at their home in Kenosha with Pat by his side.
Pat spent many retirement years volunteering her time and talents helping young people. She was a mentor, tutor, counselor, and advocate for troubled youth. She was involved with Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc. (KAFASI) for 8 years and was an AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Volunteer.
Pat also wrote articles for the Kenosha News. In 2001, she wrote an article that highlighted her love for animals, in particular dogs, titled “Bring Home a Puppy and Prepare to be Humiliated.” The article concluded with the idea that owning and caring for an animal can make you a better person. Throughout her adult life, she always had a dog at her side.
Pat often said some of her happiest times were when she was teaching high school while her children attended. She was a very involved and active mother and teacher. Many of her past students made it a point to visit or write after attending college to thank her for being tough, but fair, so that they were prepared for the challenges they faced after high school. She also enjoyed many lifelong friendships with her fellow teachers.
Pat loved and adored her grandchildren and was always interested in what they were doing at school or what their jobs entailed as they got older. She liked to learn about them as individuals through meaningful conversations and visits. She was also lucky enough to meet her great-grandchildren.
In 2018, while making plans to attend a high school reunion, she reconnected with her high school boyfriend, Bob Rascoe, [class of 1955]. They moved to Colorado Springs, CO and married on November 1, 2020. In the fall of 2023, they moved to Genoa, Nevada with its incredible views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The original Pony Express trail ran through their backyard, as did the local herd of deer that kept her entertained.
Pat is survived by her husband, Bob Rascoe; her sister, Marjorie (Alan) Cohen of Sherman Oaks, California; her children, Laura (Keith) Stummer, Wanda (Todd) Stingley, Eric Larson (Debbie Zaionc) and Diana (Saunders) Kohn; her stepson, Jeremy Kummings (Jill Murray) of Minneapolis; six grandchildren, Erin, Megan, Zhenya, Elyse, Adam, and Blair; three step-grandsons, William, Eamon, Lincoln; two step-great grandsons; Kaiden and Cas, and one great granddaughter, Clara. Also surviving are her sister-in-law and her husband, Dianne and Arvid Faldet, of Eau Claire and their three children, Stephanie, Dan and Allison.
The family recently held a private service in Racine.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kenoshanews/name/patricia-kummings-obituary?id=56512904