Patrice Runkel Lincoln passed away on Saturday, April 18, surrounded by family and loved ones after a year-long battle with cancer.

She is survived by her son, Matthew Lincoln, his wife Erin Lincoln, and their three children, Hank, Eliza, and Sullivan, her daughter, Christine Milburn and her children, Ruth, David, and Naomi, and her brother Paul Runkel and his wife Judy, She is also remembered by David and Ruth's father, Geoff Brown, Naomi's father, Alistair Milburn, and numerous cousins, nephews and extended family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter S.C. Lincoln; her mother, Marcella Homuth; her father, Eddie Runkel; and her sister, Mary Ellen White.

Patrice began life as a shy child, even carrying a slight stutter, but early on showed the determination and curiosity that would define her life. As a young girl, she spent days walking alongside her bicycle, determined to learn how to ride. When she finally succeeded, she immediately began teaching others. That instinct to learn something deeply and then share it generously remained a constant throughout her life.

She attended the University of Wisconsin, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Education. During her time there, she worked under Dr. William F. Dove at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, participating in early DNA analysis for cancer research. This experience shaped her appreciation for science and informed her later work in education. Patrice went on to become a high school chemistry and physics teacher, where she was deeply respected and beloved by her students.

Her excellence in teaching led to an invitation to the University of Maryland, where she spent two years helping professors refine their teaching methods. During that time, she met her future husband, Peter S.C. Lincoln. After a brief engagement from July to November 1971, they married. In 1974, after the birth of their daughter Christine, they moved to Middletown.

Realizing that being a stay-at-home mother was not the right fit for her, Patrice reentered the workforce as a high school teacher and college professor, teaching chemistry and physics. After seeing an ad on TV, she took the H&R Block Tax course, a step that marked the start of one of the most rewarding phases of her life. She eventually gave up a formal teaching career to focus on her family and to start her business, but she never missed an opportunity to share a “teaching moment.” She became a Certified Financial Planner, and later an Enrolled Agent, yet remained active in her children's and grandchildren's lives by attending swim meets, theater performances, track meets, and any event where she could cheer her family on.

As a founding member of Holy Family Catholic Community in Middletown, she served as head of the Lector Ministry, a role well suited to her gifts for teaching and clear communication. She was proud to say she had been a member of the church since before the church was built.

She encouraged her husband, Peter, to retire early while she built a thriving practice, welcoming hundreds of clients each year and helping them save on taxes, invest, and plan for their futures.

Patrice approached life not by confronting boundaries, but by disregarding their existence. She did what she thought was right; she devoted herself to her family, her community, her clients, and her faith. Through intelligence, determination, and generosity, Patrice built a life that had a lasting impact on all who knew her. 

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