M. Patricia Bare August 29, 1920 - September 11, 2020

M. Patricia Bare, aged 100, passed away on Friday, September 11, 2020, in Phoebe Allentown. Pat was born on August 29. 1920, in Cambridge, MA, the only child of Leo J. and Sara S. (Siegfried) Stanton.  She grew up in West Reading and received her B.A. in Elementary Education from West Chester State Teachers College in 1941.  Soon after the end of WWII she met her future husband, the late Harold L. Bare, at Albright College where both were taking a Spanish course.  Pat taught elementary school for several years in Berks County and Springfield, NJ.  Pat and Harold then raised their three children, Jim, Sally and Tricia, in Lincoln Park near Reading and then in Oakhurst near Allentown. Pat later resumed her teaching career at the Lehigh Lab School in Bethlehem and Title I Reading for the Southern Lehigh School District in Center Valley.

Pat enjoyed travel throughout her life, particularly family cruises.  She always loved being near the ocean and was even able to make several very recent trips to Atlantic City with her children.  She was fascinated with her family history and enjoyed learning facts about both her Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry.  She also enjoyed volunteering for the Elephant’s Trunk, Planned Parenthood’s consignment shop.

Pat gave selflessly to her family, taking loving care of her mother in her last years and her husband Harold through his struggle with Alzheimer’s.  She was cherished by her three children, her seven grandchildren, Alice Bare, Michael Khalil, Kevin Erspamer, Kerry Ginsberg, Brian Erspamer, Brett Erspamer and Elise Ma, and her seven great-grandchildren, Dillon, Lexie, Inara, Danny, Sam, Will and Nathan. Nothing made her happier than being surrounded by family which made the Covid enforced isolation of the last six months particularly cruel.

The family wishes to thank the lovely ladies from Seniors Helping Seniors who provided care and companionship to Pat during the pandemic and Carol and Stan Stephens who were the best neighbors and friends for so many years.

Services: 10:30 A.M. Saturday, September 19, 2020 in the Stephens Funeral Home, Inc. 274 North Krocks Road, Allentown. Call 9:30-10:30 A.M. Saturday in the funeral home. Interment will be in the Sinking Spring Cemetery. www.stephensfuneral.com.

Contributions: Charity of one’s choice.