Patricia "Pat" Mary Nakladal

PATRICIA MARY NAKLADAL, age 87 of Janesville, died on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at Village Shores in Richfield.

Born in Le Center on February 12, 1934, Pat was the daughter of Joseph and Beatrice (Gill) Stepan. She was baptized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and attended St. Mary’s Parochial School in Le Center. She moved to Janesville in 1948 with her family and graduated from Janesville High School in 1952. She then studied nursing at the college of St. Catherine in St. Paul, graduating in 1955. She worked at Miller Hospital in St. Paul and later at the Faribault State School & Hospital in Faribault. On October 20, 1956 she was united in marriage to Raymond J. Nakladal in Janesville. They lived in St. Paul and Faribault before moving to Waseca in 1961. At that time Pat’s father Joseph Stepan, Ray, and Pat purchased Muyres Shoe Store from Auggie Muyres. The name became Ray’s Family Shoes and they operated the business for 39 years until retiring in the summer of 1995.

Pat and Ray had a one of a kind love filled with cruises, travel, Red Lobster, casinos, Beanie Babies, playing cards and games with family and friends, and utterly enjoying being with each other. Pat loved the state fair, Wayne Newton, Bahama Mama’s, going to the cabin, boat rides, caramel café lattes, deserts and sweets, and many many trips to Las Vegas. Pat was a people’s poet, writing poems for everyone and every event. She loved to write letters and send cards. But above all she adored her nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews, and spoiled every one of them rotten. At one point Pat and Ray had so many God Children they had to decline taking on new ones for a spell.

Pat was a woman of faith. Practicing her faith everyday with her kind and gentle ways. She was good natured, funny, and a joy for anyone to be around. Pat never went anywhere without a friendly conversation and a smile. Pat volunteered with Miss Sleigh Bell Pageant for the Sleigh & Cutter Festival, The Jaycees, and the Catholic Order of Foresters. Pat loved her Catholic saints. She attributed many miracles and lost items (that were always eventually found) to St. Anthony. He never let her down.

Pat and Ray were big Vikings fans. They had season tickets from the 1960s to the late 1990s. They loved their Twins and Timberwolves too. Their hearts were broken many times by the teams of Minnesota, but Pat and Ray were no fair-weather fans and stood behind them all, win or lose.

Patricia is survived by her two brothers, Joseph (Portia) Stepan and Kenneth (Bonnie) Stepan; siblings-in-law; and many many nieces and nephews; as well as great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her dear Ray and both of her parents, Joseph and Beatrice Stepan of Janesville.

A celebration of Patricia’s life will be held at a later date.