RAPID CITY--On a misty morning on November 17, 2008, our precious wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, Patricia Ann Daly, unexpectedly went ahead of us to heaven. She was born on September 15, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, to Ertman and Pearl Kessler. In 1948, while working at the telephone company, she met the love of her life, Donald J. Daly. This city girl fell in love with this country boys beautiful smile, and they married three months later in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They recently celebrated 60 years of marriage and true love. She attended college and thought about being a nurse, but she then became a mother, thus becoming a nurse to us all, and this was her priority. Patricia and Donald had eight children together and they moved back and forth from Rapid City to Michigan, before finally settling for good in Rapid City. Her family was the light of her life; she was the light of ours. She would greet each day with a smile and a Good morning, friend owl to her kids. Her grandchildren meant the world to her and she was always bragging about them and cheering them on. She made us all believe that we could be anything we wanted to be. She was our rock and our strongest supporter. After her kids were grown, she starting working at Sears. Starting out in the hardware department, she soon became an expert in tools, appliances, and plumbing. She was beloved by her customers and she would be requested by name for her knowledge and kindness. She loved to take special trips. Her favorite city was San Francisco. Oh how she loved Ghirardelli Square and riding the trolley and shopping and eating with her family. She loved trips to Boulder and Minneapolis and Nevada and Utah to visit family. She loved her occasional outings up to Deadwood to gamble. We felt she was the best cook in the world. Her thumbprint cookies would be gone in minutes, with the exception of the mint ones even though the green icing had no mint flavoring. It was hard convincing her husband and sons of this though. The cookie dough itself was a favorite. Her pies were always birthday requests and a truly special treat. Her crust was so delicious and light and flaky that she would have to make extra just so we could eat it plain. She appreciated the beauty in nature, bright blue skies, autumn colors, freshly fallen snow. She loved animals, thinking they were so cute and she loved feeding the birds and watching them come to the feeder. She loved the music of wind gently blowing through the pines and her wind chimes. She loved taking walks with her husband and faithful golden retriever. She loved the holidays and always made them so incredibly special. They will never be the same without her. And we will never be the same without her. We will miss our morning chats. We will miss the lively cribbage games. We will miss the Sunday morning breakfasts. We will miss her incredible youthful spirit and keen sense of humor. We will miss the sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes. She was our best friend, mother and grandmother, always putting everyone else first.We love her and will miss her more than words could ever say. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents and young son, David. She is survived by her loving husband, Donald, her children Bill (Cathy) of Boulder, CO, Sandy (David) of Minneapolis, Robin (Joe) Schiffer, Deb, Tim (Shelly), Donna (Barry) Degen, all of Rapid City, and Mari (Pete) Hasby of Salt Lake City, and grandchildren, Alyson, Kyle, Sam, Caitlyn, Abi, Brooke, Ty, Nick, and Luke, as well as five siblings,Honey Skinner, Bill, Fritz, and Ertman Kessler, and Claudia Hinnebusch. You never really leave a place you love. You take a part of it with you, leaving a part of you behind. Visitation will be from 4 until 6 p.m on Wednesday at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, at Blessed Sacrament Church (4500 Jackson Blvd.) with Father Andrzej Wyrostek presiding. Burial will follow at Black Hills national Cemetery. The family suggests memorials go to the Humane Society of the Black Hills.