Pat KIESYLIS

KIESYLIS, Pat Beloved sister, mother, and grandmother, noted community activist and tireless environmental advocate, passed away on Jan 7. Pat was born in New York City on Jan. 14, 1942. After graduating from Cornell University, Pat pursued careers that included catering manager, restaurateur and entrepreneur. Pat and her husband Oscar Kiesylis moved to St. Petersburg in 1987 where they owned Defender Firearm, Jewelry and Pawn and Pat became active in the PTA. She chaired numerous committees for the Suncoast and Florida Sierra Clubs and served as the volunteer coordinator for Defenders of Wildlife. She was instrumental in the Clam Bayou restoration project and helped organize the Hands Across the Sand protest movement against offshore oil drilling. Pat is survived by her two daughters, Kathy Sterling and Diana Kray, their husbands Scott Sterling and Ryan Kray; grandchildren, Lily Sterling and Evan Kray; sisters, Betsy Pearson, Kathy Masi and Linda Barto, and hundreds of friends and fellow activists from Tampa Bay and across the country. A wake will be held Jan 11 from 6-8 pm at the Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home, 2201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr St. A funeral service will be held Jan. 12 at 10 at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church at 515 4th Street South, followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Pat's memory to the Suncoast Sierra Club, P.O. Box 816 St. Petersburg, FL 33731.