Patrick Stemmer
Patrick Stemmer...
Patrick leaves behind his wife, Nakita and his two daughters, Henley and Hayden, his parents, Beate and Wolfram, his two older sisters, Jen and Tamara, all his nieces and nephews, his in-laws Tom and Ingrid, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Noah and Paige, and his sister-in-law, Katie. Family was very important to him, and he was incredibly close with his brother, Eric, his sisters, and parents, who were proud to see the youngest grow into a loving husband and father.
Patrick worked hard so that we could have all the good things in life. Every day he would come home excited to play and have adventures with us. He was a hands-on father, who had endless energy and joy for our girls. Whether teaching them to kick a soccer ball, reading bedtime stories, or spinning them around in the air while they giggled uncontrollably, he loved being a daddy more than anything and made every day with them count.
He always put the girls and me first, even before himself. He showed his love in big and little ways, like surprising us with trips or something as simple as prepping a cup of coffee for me every morning. When he was younger, he was an incredible athlete, and he was great at every sport he tried. He always dreamed of travelling more with us. We made it to Europe, but we planned on taking our girls all over the world.
I want everyone to know what a kind heart he had. Whether it was holding doors open for the elderly, bringing food and drinks to those in need, or having a soft spot for every animal he met, Patty was always doing things with care in his heart. For those lucky enough to know him, they got to see everything that made him so special. He loved deeply, especially when it came to his girls; he was completely devoted. He was thoughtful, funny, smart, strong, gentle, and loved with his whole heart. At his core, he was a genuinely good person, through and through.
Messages from Patrick's loved one
I don’t know how to summarize what will be missed most about Patty, because it’s a never-ending list. I’ll miss our inside jokes, I’ll miss the life we would have created together, the girls will miss the daddy they never got to grow up with, I’ll miss his weird sense of humour, his laugh, his softness, I’ll forever miss how loved I felt by him, I’ll miss the best friend he was to me, I’ll miss his kind heart, the love he had for his daughters…. Like I said, it’s a never-ending list.
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
—W H Auden
Always found him... with his daughters and me. He told me it was his favourite place to be.
Always dreamed of... being a professional snowboarder when he was younger, as he got older though the dream changed to travelling the world with our girls.
Always smiled when... he was spending time with his daughters. He would put anything and everything on hold if it meant time with his daughters and me.
Help us continue to Rise
As a publicly funded and donation-led non-profit initiative, every effort was made to ensure the maximum amount of dollars went directly to support the actual construction of the gardens. However, to keep the site in the same condition it was at the time of unveiling and to keep the memorial's legacy alive, constant resources need to be allocated to its ongoing maintenance.
Further, the Rise Memorial Foundation needs to retain some contingency monies to fund replacement costs in the unfortunate event of vandalism or damage. Lastly, future projects and our digital assets, like this website, come with a cost!
If you would like to contribute to the Rise Memorial Foundation’s endowment, please get in touch with the Board of Directors at contact@risememorial.com.