CANALE, Patricia Ann

Published by Yuma Sun on May 31, 2026 - Yuma, Arizona - Patricia Ann Canale, beloved Mom, Grammy, and Miss Patricia, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on May 21, 2026, with her son Gregory by her side. Patricia was born December 29, 1939 in Ponca City, Oklahoma, the first child of Homer and Mildred "Milly" Devore. She was soon joined by Diana, and later they were both big sisters to Hugh ("Sonny") Meeks. Her early years in a home of meager means taught her resilience and self-reliance. After graduating from Ponca City (Oklahoma) High School, Patricia obtained her nursing degree from the University of Oklahoma. While in nursing school, she met Ronald Clark, a medical student from Tulsa, and they married in 1959. She had their son, David, in 1961 while living and working in Oklahoma City. She then met and married Dr. Gordon Tekell, working in the same Oklahoma City hospital, and they moved to West Texas where they welcomed her second son, Gregory, in 1963. Patricia raised her two boys with unlimited love and affection. She taught them how to find the good in every person they met. She also taught them to love and care for animals of all kinds, especially if they injured, as a perfect expression of her compassion and care for anyone in need. In 1973, Patricia and her family moved from West Texas and settled in Yuma, Arizona. She met friends there that she would keep the rest of her life. Patricia married Wellton farmer John Wright in 1986. John's untimely death from cancer in 1990 left a scar on Patricia's heart that never quite healed. Even so, Patricia found love again with Patsy Canale, who had also lost his wife to cancer. "Pat and Pat" were married in Kauai in 1998. They enjoyed their retirement years together in Yuma. When her grandchildren came to visit her from Texas each summer, "Grammy" and Pat would spoil them with trips to Disneyland and the West Coast, making memories that will last forever. "Miss Patricia" was competitive in many pursuits, but especially at bridge, achieving the rank of Life Master early in her career. She cherished her weekly bridge games. She also loved her girlfriends who got together once a month for a "sorority" meeting or an out-of-town excursion, and later her Girls Night Out ("GNO") crew who would often meet at "Dos Pesos." Miss Patricia's enduring beauty, smile and sense of humor gave her a place in the hearts of everyone she met. Patricia was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Diana Gray, her husband, John Wright, and her husband Patsy Canale. Left to cherish every moment spent with her are her brother, Hugh Meeks and his husband, Chris Tate, her son, David Tekell and his wife, Angela, and her son Gregory Tekell, her two grandsons, Coleman Tekell and Marshall Tekell, her "adopted" daughter, Consuelo Brotherton and her husband, Dean Brotherton, and her many life-long friends in Yuma. A funeral service for Patricia Canale will be held on June 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1550 South 14th Avenue, Yuma, Arizona, 85364. The family would be honored if you would make any donation in honor of Patricia to Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. 8th Avenue, Yuma, Arizona 85364, who gave her excellent care and comfort in her final days. Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/yumasun