The Life of Mrs. Patricia Ann Bealer
Mrs. Patricia Ann Bealer nee Halpin passed away on August 19, 2022 at Reading Hospital surrounded by her family. Pat was 71 years old and lived in Mertztown, Pennsylvania with her husband Raymond Bealer until her passing.
Pat was born in Bakersfield, California in 1951. When she was 5 years old, her parents, Ann Schloredt Halpin and James Halpin, packed the family into a 1950 sedan with a trailer attached and drove cross-country to Pennsylvania. They purchased and ran Halpin Cider Mill in Topton, and Pat and her brothers helped run the Cider Mill and operate their farm.
A 1968 graduate of Brandywine Heights High School, Pat was working at the radio stand at Zern’s Farmer’s Market when she met Ray. They were married on May 16, 1973. The couple had 4 children, built a house from the ground up, and purchased and renovated rental properties to help fund their children’s education.
In addition to being a stay-at-home mom and landlady, Pat always planted a huge garden so she could freeze corn and make jellies, and so her children would have to help grow their vegetables in addition to having to eat them.
She was a school board member in the Kutztown Area School District and served as board president. She helped edit a pro-life newsletter. She was in the studio audience of Rush Limbaugh’s television show (twice). Pat was active in local politics. She was Republican Committeewoman for the Berks County GOP, and a member of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party and the National Rifle Association.
Many H&R Block customers will fondly remember Pat. She was an enrolled agent and worked on Hanover Street in Pottstown for 20 years, retiring in 2021. She enjoyed being able to help people untangle the tax code and find ways to save money on their taxes.
In her later years, her most enjoyable activity was doting on her grandchildren. Pat had a way with kids that made chores seem like fun. She could often be spotted with Ray and one or more grandkids at various bookstores, zoos, parks, going out for ice cream, and other places of interest, like the Pagoda or the Carousel in Pottstown.
Pat is survived by her husband, Raymond, her son James, his wife Kristyn, and their children Silas, Cecilia, and Ronald; by her son Kevin, his wife Jennifer, and their children Luther, Caspian, Olive, and Titus; by her daughter Bonita, her husband John and their daughter, Valerie; and by her daughter Rebecca and her husband Charles. She is survived by a brother, Clinton, and his wife Donna, and a brother James. Pat was predeceased by her brothers Barry and Kevin.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday evening, August 24th, 2022 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 25th at 10:30 a.m. with viewing beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Ludwick Funeral Homes and Cremation Care, Inc., 333 Greenwich Street, Kutztown, PA. Interment will follow in Zion Maxatawny Union Cemetery, 329 Church Road, Kutztown, PA. All are welcome.
Arrangements are being handled by Ludwick Funeral Homes and Cremation Care, Inc. in Kutztown. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.Ludwickfh.com.