Patricia Wells Keller Huston

Patricia Wells Keller Huston

Pat Huston was born in Tallahassee, Florida, to Thomas Lester Wells and Mildred Ella Hendry Wells. She was predeceased by her beloved younger brother Thomas Lester Wells, Jr. She was married to the late Melvin Reed (Bob) Keller from 1944 to 1995 and to the late Clyde J. (Sam) Huston from 1995 to 2003. She was a devoted mother to her four children, Cynthia Keller Richey (Jerome) of California, Melissa Lynn Keller Appel (Donald) of California; Eric Reed Keller (Diane Petrilla) of Tennessee; and Kevin Lane Keller (Punam) of New Hampshire; a loving grandmother to her seven grandchildren, Keith Alistair Richey (Merrill Feather), Brett Alexander Richey, Erika Michelle Keller, Joshua Reed Keller (Erin), Lee Curtis Appel (Dayon), Carolyn Wells Keller, and Allison Reed Keller; and a proud great-grandmother of Audrey Appel, Roslyn Keller, Reed Richey, and Gus Richey.Pat graduated with a B.A. in English from Florida State University in 1947 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1949. Her Master’s thesis was on the French Constitution of 1946 and she conducted nearly all her research in French. Pat began her lifelong love of all things French when she was quite young and was enthusiastic about the history, literature, culture, and, especially, the language. Fluent in French, she spent more than 30 summers studying and traveling in France, and she participated in several French language and culture groups in Pittsburgh. Her facility for languages was remarkable. With a keen interest in and love for other languages, Pat was also fluent in Spanish, and she spoke and read Russian after studying it at the Air Force Academy in the early 1960s. She loved international travel and liked being able to talk to people in other countries, so before traveling to Germany and Italy she learned those languages, too. Passionate about reading and education, Pat became a teacher in 1967, teaching English and Social Studies at Beavercreek High School in Xenia, Ohio. After moving to Pittsburgh with her family in 1968 she was a long-term substitute and homebound teacher for nearly thirty years at Thomas Jefferson, Mt. Lebanon, and Baldwin High Schools. Her passion for education was evident to all who knew her. Pat enjoyed volunteering and devoted her life to it. She taught Sunday School and served as a Brownie Girl Scout troop leader when her children were young. She was proudest of recording books for the blind for 35 years through the program at Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church. Because of her fluency, she recorded many books in French, including one about the influence of the Aeolian language in the time of Homer. For many years, she volunteered with refugees and other immigrants, teaching English and helping them adapt to life in the U.S., and becoming a friend of all. She was particularly proud of being able to help the late Young Woo Kang, whom she met during her work recording books for the blind. He became the first blind Korean to earn a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D., helped develop Braille for the Korean language, and received many honors for his work as a disability rights advocate, professor, and author. As a member of Officers’ Wives Clubs in several states, Pat was a superb duplicate bridge player and an avid participant in the World Affairs study groups. She and her first husband, Bob Keller, were championship duplicate bridge players, winning many tournaments in Colorado and Ohio. Pat also enjoyed needlework, cooking, baking, and gardening, and participating in her church Circles and Bible study groups. She instilled in her children the value of education and of helping others. Her children and grandchildren will also long remember her creative birthday cakes, her love of reading, and her enthusiasm for board games with family. Pat is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, two nephews and a niece .The  family wishes to thank the staff at Providence Point for their care and devotion since 2013. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Brother’s Brother Foundation, 1200 Galveston Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233, www.brothersbrother.org or Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church, 199 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, www.pleasanthillschurch.org.There will be no visitation. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 10 AM at Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church.  Arrangements by Laughlin Memorial Chapel www.laughlinfuneralhome.com

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