Patricia Herrera Cazares – lovingly referred to as “Patty”, “Mamá”, “kiddo”, “Manina”, “Madrina”, “Tia Pati”, “Abue”, “Tia Abue”, and “Ms. Patty” by family and friends – was born in Chicago on July 9, 1962 and called to heaven on February 14, 2024 at the age of 61.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Jorge Cazares, her cherished sons, Jorge Alberto and Manuel Arturo, her mother, Baudelia, her brother and sisters, Martha, Berta, Gloria and Carlos. She is preceded in death by her father, Roberto Herrera, and her brother, Roberto, Jr.
Patricia’s visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 4-9pm at Church of the Holy Family, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at St. Procopius Church 1202 W. 18th St. (Corner of 18th & Allport) Chicago at 10am. Burial to follow at St. Casimir Cemetery, 4401 W. 111th St. Chicago.
In lieu of flowers, the Cazares family requests donations be made in her memory to one or more of the following by clicking here: The Lupus Foundation of America or Alzheimer’s Association .
Patty was a proud native of the Pilsen neighborhood where she attended Jungman Elementary School, Cooper Upper Grade Center and Benito Juarez High School. As a young girl, she loved playing various sports including soccer, softball, gymnastics and volleyball. Her spiral throwing a football was better than most boys her age. As a young adult, she was recognized as one of the top female soccer players in the city as a multiple-time member of La Selección Femenil Clasa. She continued playing competitive soccer into her 40s and even played with some of her former teammates’ daughters. She then transitioned to coaching her boys when they began playing soccer.
Patty and Jorge met in 1989 on the 18th St. train platform and married in 1994 at St. Paul’s Church in Chicago. They had their first son, Jorge Jr., in 1998. And after working as an assistant loan officer for several years, she became a full-time homemaker and stay-at-home mother in 2001 with the birth of Manuel.
In addition to Jorge and Manuel, Patty also had what she referred to as her “four-legged babies.” She is reunited in eternity with Tyson and leaves behind Mowgli and Xena. She loved taking her dogs on long walks and bringing them along on trips to Indiana and Michigan.
She loved to travel with her family. A lover of nature and hot sunny weather – Patty was at her happiest on a beach with a Coors Light surrounded by her boys. She admired sunsets, lakes and oceans, flowers and lighthouses. Purple was her favorite color.
Patty was also known for her green thumb – raising dozens of plants in her home and growing fruits and vegetables from seeds in her garden. She would often propagate plants using cuttings from her collection to give to family and friends.
Patty loved sharing her talents with others. Among those talents was her ability to sew. She was the go-to person in the family for needs as small as fixing a zipper to creating dresses for quinceaneras and wedding parties.
Out of her many talents, Patty was perhaps best known for her cooking and baking skills. Her cooking ranged from Mexican to Italian, Chinese to traditional American cuisine. Among her numerous dinner specialities, her tamales, gumbo, chili, ceviche, and salsa were some of her family’s favorites. She was also known for making from scratch many desserts including flan, butter cookies, brookies, different variations of cheesecakes, chocolate chip and lollipop cookies, and cherry and blueberry coffee cakes. There was never a new recipe she could not master or improve.
Patty loved children and was a motherly figure to many in the family and Santa Lucia community. From the time she was a teenager, she was like a second mother to her nephews and nieces – always present and always willing to help. She carried over these qualities to the Santa Lucia community where she was beloved by students, parents and faculty.
Patty always put others before herself – almost never saying “No” when called upon for help – even to a fault. She always remembered important dates and planned ahead for her family. She was especially good at remembering birthdays and anniversaries. She was outgoing, had a great sense of humor and enjoyed being with people. She was the life of the party with a radiant smile and a contagious laugh that filled every room she graced with her presence.
Patty’s visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 4-9pm at Church of the Holy Family, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday February 22, 2024 at St. Procopius Church 1202 W. 18th St. (Corner of 18th & Allport) Chicago at 10am. Burial to follow at St. Casimir Cemetery, 4401 W. 111th St., Chicago.
