Patrick E. Vest, 88, of Festus died Sept. 5, 2020, at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City. Mr. Vest worked as a production technician at Dow Chemical’s Riverside Plant in Pevely, retiring in 1992 after 27 years. He then worked as a security guard at the River Cement plant south of Festus. He was a member of the former Assumption Catholic Church in Herculaneum and a current member of Our Lady Church in Festus and was a third-degree member of Knights of Columbus Council 1230 in Festus. He was a proud player on Herculaneum High School’s first football team in 1946, and remained a lifelong sports fan, especially St. Louis Cardinals baseball and St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs football. Born Sept. 28, 1931, in Herculaneum, he was the son of the late Myrtle Greenlee and John Elmer Vest Sr. He was preceded in death by his wife: Audrey (LaPorte) Vest.
He is survived by a son: Stephen Vest; two sisters: Donna Vest of Arnold and Darla Vest of Festus; two brothers: Dennis (Patricia) Vest of Belleville, Ill., and Barry Boyer of Imperial; special friends Linda Baker, Robert and Brenda Darian and Travis Darian, all of Festus; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by a son: Kent Gregory Vest; two brothers: John E. “Jack” (Shirley survives of Festus) Vest Jr., and Harold “Jim” Vest; and an infant sister: Suzanne Vest.
Visitation is scheduled from 9:30- 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Vinyard Funeral Home, 616 W. Main St., in Festus. Funeral Mass will follow at noon conducted at Our Lady Catholic Church in Festus, officiated by Father Gregory Klump. Burial is in the Assumption Catholic Cemetery in Herculaneum. Memorials may be made in the form of Masses in Mr. Vest’s honor. Arrangements are under the direction of Vinyard Funeral Home.