Patrice Anne (Lee) Bucklin

Patrice "Pat" Anne Lee, formerly known as Pat Cannella and socially known as Pat Bucklin, died Tuesday of complications associated with cancer, after saying "goodbye" to her children and with her husband by her side.

She was born in Waukesha, WI on January 26, 1963 and lived most of her youth in the Chicago area, as well as a few years in Central Illinois and St. Louis, MO. She was a bookkeeper and accountant for more than 40 years and was most recently an Assistant Vice President at Johnson and Johnson Insurance of Charleston, SC.

Pat was known for her spiritual strength and firm understanding of God and His word, and she was bold in her faith until the end. Her kind and loving spirit, energy, and selflessness towards family and friends will be her greatest legacy. She made friends easily and was generous with her love. Her unassuming and non-judgmental style was comforting to family and, whenever there was a crisis, she was the glue that held everyone together.

She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. Unselfish and kind, her willingness to listen to and be compassionate to someone in need of advice or a shoulder made her a pillar of the family. Her generous nature often led to her going without, so that others, especially her children, could pursue their goals and dreams without interruption. Pat's inner strength was known to all who knew her, and she faced adversity, and cancer, with a courageous, superhuman and can-do spirit.

Pat is survived by her husband, Scott Bucklin, of Cary, IL; mother, Janice Tym, of Elgin, IL; sister, Laura (Mark) Hastings, of Lake in the Hills, IL; sons, Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tim (Rachel) Cannella of Philadelphia, PA, Andrew (Kelly) Cannella of Round Lake, IL, and Zach (fiancée, Kelsey Griffin) of Nashville, TN; daughter, Lindsey (Josh) Knautz of Wilmington, NC; stepdaughters, Susanna Bucklin of Madrid, Spain, and Laine and Kate Bucklin, both of Janesville, WI; and stepson, Evan Bucklin of Cary, IL. In addition, Pat is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews as well as 7 grandchildren with 1 more expected in April.

Pat is preceded in death by her brother, Gregg Lee and father, Stanley, Lee.

Holidays were busy times, and Pat and Scott often joked that having 8 children between them was "greater than The Brady Bunch, without the help of Alice."

A visitation will be held on Sunday, February 20th, from 11am to 3pm at the Davenport Funeral Home in Crystal Lake, IL. There will be a Celebration of Life immediately after the visitation. In respect to Pat's wishes, this is not a "we miss her" event and will instead be a cheerful celebration and a tribute to the positive impact she made to all who knew her and the many, many lives she touched. Upbeat, happy music will be played and those paying their respects are asked to wear light, cheerful colors instead of dark clothing.

Grandchildren played a special role in Pat's life, and many of her happiest moments were when she spent time with her grandkids. In lieu of flowers, the family seeks to honor Pat’s wishes in accepting donations to benefit her grandchildren in the form of a college fund, so they may pursue their future dreams, as her children did, without interruption.