Patricia R. Gause's Obituary
Patricia (Pattie) Reybold Gause of Rehoboth Beach, DE, died on August 19, 2020 in her home, surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren. She was 90 years old. She grew up in Newark, DE, the daughter of Rosalie (Steele) and William U. Reybold, Jr. She graduated from Newark High School (’47) and the University of Delaware (’51) where she majored in Math, challenging the gender stereotypes of the time. She also tutored for the Athletic Department and worked the college switchboard. During summers she served as the receptionist for the general manager of Delaware Park racetrack.
After graduating, Pattie taught for a few years at Wilmington High School and in Glassboro, NJ, then went back to school to earn her Masters in School Counseling at Catholic University in Washington, DC, also quite an accomplishment for a woman at that time. Afterwards she took a teaching job at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington and married F. Gregory Gause, Jr. of Wilmington in 1956. She paused her teaching career to have five children, raising them in the Lindamere neighborhood of Bellefonte, then went back to Ursuline in 1970 and felt fortunate to be able to return to work! She taught at Ursuline until retiring in 1992. She and Greg moved to Rehoboth Beach that year. She cherished being able to enjoy retirement at the beach. She loved the ocean and, until the last years of her life, would take a swim almost every day of the summer. She shared her good fortune of being able to live at the beach by being the perfect hostess to a plethora of visitors-family, friends, Ursuline colleagues, and countless former students. But her favorite guests were her grandchildren. She was an active member of St. Edmond’s Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, serving as a lector at Mass, a coordinator of the prayer chain, and a volunteer in the parish’s social outreach mission.
Pattie loved teaching, though she didn’t love the faculty meetings! She enjoyed her students (whom she sometimes called “turkeys”) and was a beloved teacher at Ursuline. She also loved reading novels, exploring and sharing her Catholic faith, entertaining friends, and enjoying her children and grandchildren. And she LOVED college basketball-the NCAA tournament was her favorite time of year!
Pattie is survived by her husband of 64 years, Greg; her brother, William U. Reybold III, of Easton, MD; her children F. Gregory Gause III and his wife Cynthia of College Station, TX, John Gause and his wife Colleen of Harbeson, DE, Marcy Gause Kempner of New York City and Rehoboth Beach, Justin Ivanitch-Gause and his wife Vicki of Raleigh, NC, and Sarah Gause Flanders and her husband Jeff of Wilmington; 11 grandchildren: Alexandra Strobel, Marie Gause, Rosalie Gasperino, Gregory Gause, Emma Gause, Matthew Kempner, Ethan Kempner, Jack Kempner, Aidan Gause, Brenna Gause, and Jake Flanders; and three great grandchildren.
Because of the covid-19 pandemic, the funeral will be private. A celebration of life will be held when deemed safe.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Ursuline Academy, www.Ursuline.org and Autism Delaware, www.AutismDelaware.org are appreciated.
Please sign Pattie's online guestbook located on this site.
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