Patricia K. Terhune

Patricia K. Terhune

Died January 13, 2026

Patricia "Patty" King Terhune of Northport, Michigan, died from medical complications on January 13, 2026. Patty was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 22, 1946, to Helen Heidrich ("Chee") and Robert Bruning ("Moose") Terhune.

Patty grew up in Dallas and attended The Hockaday School before attending Greenbriar College in West Virginia, which she graduated from with a degree in early childhood education in 1966.

After graduating from Greenbriar, Patty moved to Chicago where she worked at St. Chrysostom's School, fulfilling a lifelong dream of working with children.

Patty returned to Peoria, Illinois, to the family farm to care for Moose after the loss of Chee in a car accident.

During her time in Peoria, Patty established and operated The Foxhill Stallion and Broodmare Facility in Kickapoo-Edwards, Illinois, and studied Animal Husbandry at the University of Colorado. She loved her work with animals and the many pets she cared for during her lifetime.

Having had enough long nights and early mornings operating her equine business, Patty closed it and retired to her true home on Northport Point, Michigan.

Patty loved Northern Michigan and the Leelanau Peninsula, having spent her early summers at Northport Point and later retiring there, a particularly brave commitment in the months of January or February.

In the summer months however, the warmth and natural beauty served as a fitting backdrop for golf and tennis with friends, which she loved.

She was a country girl who drove a dually and loved shooting guns and fishing, especially fishing - ocean, freshwater, backwater - it didn't matter, and she had the fish mounted and photos to prove it.

Although Patty never married or had children of her own, she truly loved the children in her life. She cherished the opportunities to have local kids christened in her Victorian pram, loved to take a niece or nephew for a ride in Irma Christine, her vintage Packard, or, in her later years, to watch and cheer on the campers at Friday Beach Class awards from her red golf cart with glue-on headlight eyelashes. That was Patty.

Patty is predeceased by her brother, Stephen King Terhune, and her parents, Moose and Chee. She is survived by her brother, Robert Heidrich ("Terry") Terhune, and sister, Helen Terhune ("Taffy") Walker, both of Northport, Michigan, and her niece and nephews and their respective families.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105 or The Cherryland Humane Society 1750 Ahlberg Drive Traverse City, MI 49686.

A memorial service will be held in the Summer of 2026.

Please share condolences and memories with Patty's family at www.martinson.info

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.