Patricia McAlister Williams

SIOUX CITY | Patricia Ann McAlister Williams, 68, of Sioux City passed away Sunday, May 15, 2016 at her home.

A Bahá'í funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Sioux City will officiate.   Burial will be in Liberty-Perry Cemetery, Plymouth County, IA. Visitation will be the hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Condolences may be offered online at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Patricia (Pat) McAlister was born November 18, 1947 in Sterling, CO, the daughter of Donald Edward and Harriett Lucille (Rolph) McAlister. At the age of five her family moved to Cedar Rapids, IA where she lived until adulthood. She graduated from the University of New Mexico and later lived in various places, returning to Sioux City in 2015.

For the last 25 years of her life, she worked in the field of medical research, specializing in the development of new treatments for cancer. She was very proud to have played a small part in bringing new drugs to patients. She enjoyed birding, working on her family tree and playing cards and other games.

Pat was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2011 and with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML) in May 2015 which eventually took her life.

Survivors include her son Donald William (Ashley Gray) of Merrill, IA; grandson, Jake Williams of Merrill, IA; step-grandchildren, Tetreanna Richards of Loveland, CO and Taylor, Trenten and Tara Gray of Merrill, IA; step-mother, Mary Jo McAlister of Cedar Rapids, IA; brother, Glenn (Barbara) McAlister of Venice, FL; sister, Penny (Dan) Crespin of Aurora, CO; brother, Steve (Anita) Ferguson of Dixon, CA; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the LifeServe Blood Bank (4501 Southern Hills Dr., Sioux City, IA 51106) or to the June E. Nylen Cancer Center Research Dept. (230 Nebraska St., Sioux City, IA 51101).