Patsy Sue “Pat” Remala, 90, of Sycamore, Illinois, passed away on August 29, 2026, surrounded by the love of the family she spent a lifetime nurturing.

Born on August 19, 1936, Pat was raised in Sycamore, a community that remained home throughout her life. She was one of three daughters born to Andrew and Maxine Reh, whom she lovingly referred to as “Mother and Daddy.” Both worked at Turner Brass, a longtime Sycamore manufacturer that would later become known for producing the torches used for the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

From an early age, Pat was creative, athletic, and known for the positivity she brought to everything she did. She sewed clothes for her sisters, was a talented baton twirler and organist, and loved athletics at a time when girls had far fewer opportunities to compete. Her talent with a needle and thread stayed with her throughout her life. Years after sewing for her sisters, she was still the person her children and grandchildren turned to when a uniform needed to be hemmed, a pair of pants needed to be shortened, or an outfit needed just the right tuck.

And then there were two lifelong favorites: Elvis and the Chicago Cubs.

A devoted Elvis fan from the very beginning, Pat spent her teenage years swooning over him in her poodle skirt. Her love for his music never faded. Nearly seven decades later, Elvis was still part of the soundtrack of her life, and she was listening to the music she loved until the day before she passed.

Pat was also a loyal Chicago Cubs fan who celebrated the highs and endured the heartbreaks that came with loving the team. One of her favorite players was Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) and, in what felt like a fitting final gift to one of their biggest fans, the Cubs won on the day Pat passed, with PCA hitting three home runs. Her family likes to think they won that one for Pat.

But the greatest love story of Pat’s life began much closer to home.

The greatest love of Pat’s life was her husband, Dale Remala. Although they had been classmates in Sycamore, it wasn’t until later, when Pat was waitressing at The Pantry and Dale started stopping in regularly, that the two began dating. From there, the rest, as they say, was history.

Pat and Dale married on April 27, 1957, in a double wedding with Pat’s sister, Nancy.  Together, they built nearly 70 years of life and memories centered on family, friends, community, and simply enjoying being together.

They especially loved golfing together, both in Sycamore and in Arizona. Pat was a charter member of the Sycamore Ladies Niners Golf League and also belonged to a women’s golf league in Arizona, where her creativity and love of bringing people together made her a natural organizer of golf parties, competitions, and gatherings.

Pat took great pride in supporting Dale throughout his many years of service to their community, including his involvement with Univets, the Cortland Township Board, and the Sycamore Park District. She especially enjoyed the many evenings they spent at the Sycamore Sports Complex, where Pat kept score for Little League games while Dale coached their sons. In later years, she traded the scorebook for a seat in the stands, where she loved watching and cheering on her grandchildren as they played baseball, basketball, and football.

For more than 20 years, Pat and Dale spent the colder months in Arizona, traveling there each October and returning to Sycamore in May. Pat loved the Arizona sunshine, the golf, Bingo, and the friendships they made there, but by spring, she was always ready to come home. Her children and grandchildren were here, and being with them was where she most wanted to be.

Pat devoted much of her early adult life to raising her children. While they were young, she cared for neighborhood children in her home and sold Avon. Once her own children were school-aged, she brought her warmth, creativity, optimism, and unmistakable energy into the workplace. She worked at Duplex Products and Vencor Hospital and, in the years between, served as a special education teacher’s assistant at Sycamore Middle School.

Her years at the middle school reflected something fundamental about Pat: She saw possibility in people. She touched the lives of many students by believing in their potential, celebrating their unique gifts, and helping them see something special in themselves.

Above everything else, however, Pat was a wife, mother, and grandmother.

She adored her children and grandchildren and took tremendous pride in each of them. Family was not simply important to Pat. It was the center around which her life revolved.

Perhaps nothing represented that more than Sunday dinner.

Fittingly, just a week before her passing, Pat’s family gathered around that table one more time to celebrate her 90th birthday. Her husband, children, and grandchildren were together for a Sunday family dinner, continuing a tradition that had begun when Pat herself was a child. It was a celebration of 90 years of a life centered on family and a final, treasured gathering that will forever hold a special place in their hearts.

That table, and the family gathered around it, is part of Pat’s legacy.

Pat was a longtime member of Sycamore United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Andrew and Maxine Reh, and her sisters, JoAnne Biermann and Nancy Little.

Pat is survived by her devoted husband, Dale Remala; her four children, Jay Remala (JeaNae), Jeff Remala, Tami Armstrong (Bob), and Jon Remala; and her four grandchildren, Andrew Remala, Gage Armstrong, Brody Armstrong, and Mallory Armstrong.

Her family is deeply grateful to the many people who cared for Pat and supported them, including the staff of DeKalb County Rehab Center, DMJ Home Health, the Sycamore Police officers, Sycamore Fire Department paramedics, and Pastor Luis Reyes-Rosario.

Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, at Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Avenue, Sycamore, followed by a memorial service celebrating Pat’s life at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends are invited to a luncheon in the fellowship commons following the service.

Her family will miss her presence at that table beyond measure. But every Sunday dinner, every round of golf, every Elvis song, and every family gathering will carry a little of Pat with it, and the love she gave so generously will continue through the family she treasured most.

Arrangements by the Butala Funeral Home, Sycamore, IL.  To sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com