Patricia Kelcher Obituary

Patricia Lee Buckley Kelcher

November 5, 1940 - January 13, 2026

Patricia Lee Buckley Kelcher, a long-time resident of Dallas, Texas, passed away on January 13, 2026 at Pratt Regional Medical Center in Pratt, Kansas. Born in Dalhart, Texas to Louie and Euma Lee Buckley (Harrington), she was an only child. She was proud of her Texas heritage, the great granddaughter of J. B. Pigg, one of the earliest Texas pioneers to settle land in Parker County, Texas. She spent early childhood in Dalhart and Wichita Falls during World War II, then spent the rest of her childhood in Sweetwater, Texas, graduating from Newman High School in 1958. She attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas for two years and there met Laurence Bruce Kelcher. They married in Dallas, Texas on September 3, 1960. He passed away March 10, 2020. They had two children who both survive her: Linda Loomis (Kelcher) (her spouse, Frederick S. "Ted" Loomis passed away in 2019) Iuka, Kansas; and Brian Kelcher and his spouse Angela Kelcher (Buckner) Dallas, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren Dr. Joseph Loomis and his spouse Dr. Cara Loomis (Davis) Overland Park, Kansas; Matthew Loomis and his spouse Dr. Vanessa Loomis (Stelter) Iuka, Kansas; James Kelcher, and Caroline Kelcher, Dallas, Texas. She has three great-grandchildren: Eloise Loomis, Daniel (Danny) Loomis, Overland Park, Kansas; and Theodore (Teddy) Loomis, Iuka, Kansas.

Patricia was a gifted pianist, playing the organ at Luby's cafeteria in Lubbock to earn money at college. She became a stay-at-home mom for a few early years in her marriage and later worked as a secretary for various companies until 1983 when she returned to college. Studying at night school to earn her associates degree in Arts and Science from Eastfield Community College, she then continued on to earning a Bachelor's Degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from the UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas in July 1990. She became a special education teacher until her retirement in 2005. She loved quilting, reading, genealogy, going to the Dallas opera, her cats, volunteering at the Dallas Public Library and visiting her grandkids. She lived near her daughter in Pratt, Kansas for the last four years of her life, enjoying her time on the championship-winning laundry basketball team at Parkwood Village.

Patricia is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Laurence "Larry" Kelcher.

Cremation has taken place. There will be a small, private Liturgy of the Word Funeral on Friday February 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pratt, Kansas. There will also be a celebration of life service on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Pratt Presbyterian Church, Pratt, Kansas. Finally, also at a later date, hopefully when the Texas bluebonnets are blooming, there will be a graveside service at Bethel United Methodist Church in Parker County, Texas where her cremains will be buried with her parents and Texan ancestors. Memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church or Pratt Public Library.