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Obituary
Patricia “Pat” Ann (Neil) Saitama, born on May 23, 1942, in Wyandotte, Michigan, is reuniting with her parents John Stewart Neil and Doris Margaret Jean (Lawson) Neil in the beautiful and peaceful Michigan Memorial Park on May 9, 2025. She passed away on April 16, 2025, in Sierra Vista, Arizona, at 82 years old.
A devoted elementary school teacher, Pat loved being in the classroom and encouraging her students to excel in reading, math, history and more. Shortly after starting her teaching career in Waterford, Michigan, she joined the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) system and moved to Tokyo, Japan. Across three decades, she built a life there — raising her daughter and, as a passionate educator, teaching the American children of U.S. military families and receiving commendations for her effective instructional style. She embraced Japanese culture, traditions and especially the delicious food! What she couldn’t have imagined when she boarded that first plane to Tokyo — and treasured immensely — was the enduring friendships she formed with her fellow dedicated DoDDS teachers and their families.
In 2000, Pat retired and moved back to the United States and settled in Sierra Vista, Arizona, where she enjoyed retiree life to the fullest with wonderful new friends. She happily took on various roles within the city’s Faith Presbyterian Church and sang in the church choir and the Sierra Vista Community Chorus.
She always adored visiting or being visited by her daughter as well as Michigan and Florida family members — time together was always cherished but never long or frequent enough. She also felt blessed to have a caring and culinarily gifted son-in-law.
Pat will be remembered as a kind, thoughtful and generous woman who could always bring a smile to the faces of those around her. She is survived by daughter Kristi Saitama and her husband Eric Chen of Fairfax, Virginia; beloved brothers John Thomas Neil of Davison, Michigan, and Richard Neil of Kentwood, Michigan, and their dear wives Sally Neil and Rose Neil; special cousin Joyce Pellot of Fort Myers, Florida; and her niece, nephews, and their spouses and children. She also remains in the hearts of her DoDDS family.
