Patrick Sheldon

Patrick ‘Pat’ Allen Shel-

don, 68, longtime Minot

elementary educator, died

Sunday, June 28, 2020, in

a Minot hospital.

Pat was born March 20,

1952, in Bismarck, ND, to

Allen and Leonora (Mork)

Sheldon. He grew up in

Minot and graduated from

Minot High School in

1970. He pursued his col-

lege degree at Minot State

University, where he was

a member of Sigma Tau

Gamma Fraternity, and

graduated with a Bachelor

of Science degree in Ele-

mentary Education in

1975.

Pat met his future wife,

Deborah ‘Debbie’ Lynn

Kunkel, on a sunny day at

Rice Lake in 1973 at a

family friend’s cabin.

They were united in mar-

riage on June 5, 1976, at

Christ Lutheran Church in

Minot, where they made

their home and were

blessed with the birth of a

son, Patrick Lannie.

Pat spent his teaching

career in the Minot Public

School System starting

with sixth grade. He loved

elementary and switched

to fifth grade so that he

could continue there after

sixth grade was moved to

middle school. He com-

pleted 32 years in Minot

between Dakota, Sunny-

side, and North Hill Ele-

mentary (Lewis and Clark)

Schools. He retired from

teaching in 2007. Pat then

worked 11 years with

Ackerman Estvold En-

gineering Consultants un-

til he fully retired in 2018.

Pat enjoyed hunting

waterfowl and upland

game, but his passion was

hunting turkey at the San-

dhills south of Denbigh,

ND. He also loved fishing,

golfing, and entertaining

family, friends and neigh-

bors in the garage where

he always was cooking

something.

Pat cherished his grand-

daughter, Mira, from the

day she was born. He en-

joyed every moment he

spent with her, and you

could see the glow in his

face when they were to-

gether. They shared a very

special bond.

Those who shared his

life are: his wife of 44

years, Debbie, Minot, ND;

son Patrick (Shanda Cool)

Sheldon and grand-

daughter Mira Sheldon,

Bismarck, ND; sister Peg-

gy (Truman) Olson, Fargo;

mother-in-law Eline

Kunkel, Minot;

sister-in-law Nancy

(Mike) Kramer, Minot;

niece Missy (Ben)

Whitsett, Austin, TX, and

numerous cousins.

Pat was preceded in

death by: his parents,

father-in-law Lannie

Kunkel and a number of

aunts and uncles.

A book signing will be

held on Thursday, July 2,

from 3 to 6 p.m. at the

Thomas Family Funeral

Home, Minot. Social dis-

tancing and capacity

guidelines will be fol-

lowed, and patience with

the staff is appreciated.

A private family inter-

ment will be held at

Rosehill Cemetery, rural

Norwich, ND.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.