Patricia Johnson passed away in her sleep on 3/13/24 in Oakdale, CA at the age of 93.
Pat was born 5/12/30 in North Platte, NE to Brian and Pat Dillon. She was the 2nd child, along with sisters Tootie and Peg, and brother Tom. Pat attended St.Pat’s High School and graduated in 1948, proud to be a good student and cheerleader. Next step was St. Mary’s College in Omaha, where she studied accounting. She worked in a bank following junior college.
In 1953, Pat married Dick Johnson, another St. Pat’s alumni, in North Platte. Pat and Dick lived in Rapid City SD for an Air Force assignment, and Pat went back to North Platte when Dick was sent overseas. Following the service, Pat and Dick moved to Sunnyvale CA in 1955 into a new suburb and new job for Dick.
Children followed quickly. Mark was born in 1956, Patrice in 1959, Matt in 1960, Richard in 1962, and Doug in 1963. This triggered a DIY expansion of the Sunnyvale home and many busy years of kids, school, work, and fun along with all the challenges.
Pat began working in the medical industry in 1965 at Stanford Hospital emergency room, and then worked for many years as office manager for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bruce Robison. She was a very loyal Stanford fan, and enthusiastic partner in annual family camping trips to the Sierras and Pacific Coast. At age 50, she even ran the 12k Bay to Breakers race in SF with the kids.
Pat and the family transitioned from camping to building a cabin in Twain Harte, CA in the mid-1970s. As the kids grew older, the family made almost weekly trips to the cabin for numerous projects and adventures. Pat and Dick retired in 1988, and moved to Twain Harte permanently. The cabin became the hub for most family events and calamities.
Grandkids were a huge blessing when daughter Patty and husband Greg Orrock moved to the Sierra foothills and had sons Jason and Jared. Very shortly, the grandkid list expanded when Doug and Kris added Bryan, and Rich and Jenn added Jake and Mack.
In 2004, Dick died of diabetes complications, and Pat continued as a hardy solo mountain woman… shoveling snow and maintaining the property. Finally the mountains became too tough and Pat moved to assisted living facilities in 2017.
She was especially proud to be great grandmother to Jason and wife Marcela’s daughter Marissa, and then Jared and wife Heidi’s kids Aurelia, Georgia, and Cal.
As “Aunt Patty”, she had favorite status with Peg and Wally Coker’s children Jim, Tom, and Kevin, plus Tootie and Ed Lupomech’s crew of John, Mike, Cathy, Ed, Joe, Lynn, Dave, Jim, Ann, and Cindy.
Pat will be remembered very fondly by Mark’s wife Cindy, Patty’s husband Greg, Matt’s wife Claudia, Richard’s wife Jenn, and Doug's wife Kris.
As for siblings, Father Thomas Dillon and Mary (Tootie) Lupomech have also passed away, and Margaret (Peg) Coker lives happily in Cheyenne, WY.