Thomas Patrick "Pat" Cusick wore many hats in his 89 years: cowboy, Navy signalman and WWII veteran, roughneck, Shriner. But those he wore best were husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and great-grandfather.
Born March 15, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, Pat moved as a child to the hardscrabble ranch settled in the late 1800s by his maternal grandfather near Buffalo, Wyoming. In his youth, Pat worked as a ranch hand but left Wyoming to attend the University of Notre Dame. There he enlisted in the Navy and during his sophomore year, embarked on a three year journey serving on a landing ship tank in the Pacific theatre of WWII as a signalman. After the war, he made his way back to Wyoming where he worked as a cowboy and was a regular on the rodeo circuit. Among his most prized possessions was the silver belt buckle he won for bulldogging at the Gillette Rodeo in 1949. Pat married Ann Leath, mother of his 2 children, and the young family soon left Wyoming for New Mexico where Pat worked in the oil fields. The family settled in Scottsdale and later San Antonio, where Pat worked in insurance until his retirement.
An avid golfer and sports fan, Pat cheered on the Fighting Irish, calling his grandchildren to serenade them with his cacophonous but endearing version of the Notre Dame Fight Song after each touchdown. On Sundays, he rooted for the Cowboys. But above all, he relished every opportunity to cheer on his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in all their endeavors.
Pat will be remembered for his kindness, good humor, and gentle spirit, always ready with a mischievous smile, a sarcastic self-deprecating boast, and an infectious laugh that delighted those around him even in his last days. Though he aspired to play the stoic cowboy, in the end his caring, affable nature always prevailed, and he leaves as his finest legacy a family full of love for him and for one another, a reflection of the undying love he shared with them.
Preceded in death by his parents Thomas Francis Cusick and Anna Lueddecke Cusick Fieldgrove, and brother Cecil Fieldgrove, Pat is survived by his devoted wife and companion of 33 years Patricia Cusick of Boerne; daughter Toni C. Dunn and husband Dr. Bruce Dunn of San Antonio; son Tom P. Cusick Jr. and wife Silvia of Boerne; stepson Randy Evans and wife Terri of Sugarland; sister Gwendolyn Barney and husband Ray of Salt Lake City; cousin Hermie Christian of Buffalo, Wyoming; ten grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Pat left us peacefully and painlessly on September 2, 2013, trading the many hats he wore on this earth for a halo which he will wear handsomely with the same dignity, grace, and charm as all the hats before, as he begins his next journey across the most glorious pasture of all.
A private service was held in Boerne on Wednesday, September 4. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christus Sister Mary Hospice Center: www.christushomecare.org. To leave condolences for the family, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher.com and select the Obituaries tab.
Arrangements with Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.