Patricia Susan Rakacs Remine

February 16, 1942- August 4, 2025

Patricia Susan Rakacs Remine passed away from Alzheimer’s on August 4, 2025 at Alpine Way Continuing Care Community in Shelton, Washington.

Pat was born February 16, 1942 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Susan Soney (Szanyi) Rakacs and Joseph George Rakacs (both deceased). Her grandparents (Joseph Szanyi and Zsuzsanna Hete, Gyorgy Rakacs and Julia Balogh) all came to the United States in the early 1900s from areas of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that are now eastern Hungary and western Ukraine. Pat grew up in Cranford, NJ where she attended Cranford High School (1959) and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education from Trenton State College (1963).

In June 1964, she married her sweetheart, Ken Remine, and they lived in Westfield, New Jersey, where they had their first two children. They moved to Palos Verdes near Los Angeles, California, in 1971 and had their third child the following year. Pat earned a Master of Arts in Elementary Education (1976) from California State University, Long Beach. In late 1976, the family moved to Mercer Island, Washington, where they lived until Pat and Ken retired.

While focusing on raising her three children, Pat worked as a reading tutor and substitute teacher. Pat and Ken were active in the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church community and led many youth group meetings, opening their home to young people who were exploring their religious and community connections.

In 1984, Pat began her first full-time job as an elementary special education teacher at Lakeview Elementary in Kirkland, where she worked until her retirement in June 2004. There, Pat became the “glue” for her tightknit teaching group known as “Room 15”. The team supported one another in many ways and laughed together…a lot! Her teaching buddies shared that Pat had the patience of a saint in her work. Students and parents alike loved her and appreciated her unwavering support for the students’ learning. Room 15 forever!

Pat enjoyed walking, hiking, sailing, kayaking and biking in the beautiful nature of the Pacific Northwest. She was strongly creative and expressed herself through flower arranging, sewing, interior decorating, singing and painting favorite nature scenes with watercolors. Every year, she captured important family memories in wonderful photo

collages which she proudly displayed; she loved touring guests through what the family calls the “Hall of Shame”!

In 1980, the Remines purchased property on Harstine Island in the south Puget Sound, which became a treasured family haven. The family camped there during summers for the first 15 years before building a house, which became Pat’s and Ken’s retirement home. Pat valued the community there; she was active in the Harstine Island Women’s Club, with churches in Shelton, as a literacy volunteer with Sound Learning and as a regular at Shelton Athletic Club yoga and pilates classes.

Later in life, Pat and Ken loved traveling and adventured to England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and other parts of the Caribbean and around the US. Pat and her daughter traveled to Budapest, Hungary in 2010 to experience their cultural heritage together.

Pat is survived by her sons, Peter B. Remine and Matthew W. Remine, and daughter, Kathryn R. Remine (Jonathan Dent); her sister-in-law, Hedwig (Ackermann) Remine and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, Kenneth R. Remine, and her dear sister, Shirley Ann Rakacs Funk.

Most of all, Pat was so proud to be a mom to her three children and lovingly reminded them every chance she could get – “Don’t forget, I’m your mother!”

The family would dearly like to thank the wonderful staff at Alpine Way for the care and respect they demonstrated for our mom and our family during her time there. They helped to bring us many joyful moments together during her last year of life and nurtured Pat’s creative side with many crafts and activities.

The family would welcome contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in honor of Pat