Patricia Anne Canel

1940 - 2026

Patricia Anne Canel, 85, of Butler, passed away peacefully Friday, March 27, 2026, at Quality Life Services Sugar Creek.
Born Oct. 14, 1940, in Turtle Creek, Pa., she was a daughter of the late Robert Henkel and Dorothy Keeney Henkel. She was the eldest of six children.
Patricia graduated from Turtle Creek High School in 1958 and went on to attend Montefiore Nursing School, where she obtained her nursing degree. She was employed as a registered nurse at Butler Memorial Hospital until the time of her retirement in 1996.
While in nursing school, Patricia met the love of her life, H. Joseph Canel, a Pitt engineering student, on a blind date. They married in 1962 and were happily married for 54 years until his passing in 2016.
Patricia was a devout member of All Saints Parish, St. Paul Roman Catholic Church.
She was an avid gardener and she maintained beautiful vegetable and flower gardens at her home. She loved to cook and try new recipes and was a true foodie at heart. The thing that gave her the most joy of her life, though, was spending time with her family. Her happiest times were those surrounded by her children and grandchildren, whom she loved dearly.
Patricia was an active donor to many charities, with a soft spot for animal rescues. She had a selfless heart and a giving spirit and was generous to all those that she knew and loved. She will be deeply missed.
Patricia is survived by two sons, John Canel and his wife, Graciela, of Atlanta, Ga., and Tom Canel and his wife, Marcy, of Saxonburg; one daughter, Penelope Canel and her husband, Michael Hickey, of Mt. Lebanon, Pa.; and five grandchildren, Bailey Lewis and her fiancé, Derek Young, Maddie Barnett and her husband, Ryan, Lilly Canel, Helen Hickey and Nick Canel.
She is also survived by two brothers, Robert Henkel (Mary Beth), of West End, N.C., and Allan Henkel (Teri), of Monroeville, Pa.; two sisters, Barbara Smith, of Trafford, Pa., and Kathy DelCotto, of Valencia; and a number of nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, H. Joseph Canel, and one sister, Martha Hunsberger.
CANEL - Friends of Patricia Anne Canel, who died Friday, March 27, 2026, will be received from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, in MARTIN FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler.
The Nurses Honor Guard will conduct a service at the funeral home at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
A blessing service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 2, at the funeral home, with Deacon James Shope officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Patricia Anne Canel to the Butler County Humane Society, 1015 Evans City Rd., Renfrew, PA 16053.
For more information, please visit www.martinfh.net.