Patricia Ann McReynolds

In lieu of flowers, the family requests acts of kindness in her memory. We would like a ripple of love to go out in celebration of her own kindness and generosity. There can be no finer memorial.

Patricia Ann McReynolds was kind to everyone, loving, curious, innovative and friendly. She was compassionate to people and animals alike and her intuitive nature lent itself to some surprising expose's

As a child Patty found ways to amuse herself. She delighted in the dolls her mother sewed from sac cloth. She played kick ball with cousin Peggy and sister Mickie off the tenement walls in NW Portland.

As the Bartley girls became teenagers the family moved to the house on 86th street (now the Clackamas Promenade). Early marriages were popular back in the day. Having three older sisters Patty learned coquettish styles and received three proposals of marriage early on.

Regardless, she opted for a career in the world of fashion and developed her skills in poise and beauty by modeling hats and hands, live, at Meier & Frank downtown Portland. Her career evolved and took her to Seattle Washington. By this time she and my father, Gervie were dating. He and Patty exchanged love letters while looking forward to Sunday when they could get a call in. They were married shortly after in a church ceremony celebrated by the Bartley and Jarmer families.

Patty and Jerry enjoyed being newlyweds for a short time before the arrival of the children. Mother took great pride in maintaining her girlish figure and dazzled us all by wearing colorful full-bodied dresses and tailored skirts. She was industrious and sewed most clothes for herself and her kids.

While meandering through Moms belongings Melanie discovered that in 1963 Mom committed her goals to paper. I invite you to come with me on her journey. A testimony that if you write it down it often manifests!

Mom was blessed with good health. Although she had a few surgeries and complaints along the way she escaped many obstacles as she moved through her life looking forward to her tomorrows.

Secondly she wanted a husband she loved, respected and was proud of and she managed to be a lucky winner twice. Once with my dad and again with Earnest Kaye McReynolds.

"I want well mannered children I can take deep pleasure in" she scribed.

If we only knew we might have tried harder! As it is, the four of us managed to thrive and survive the wooden spoon. Our brother Curtis, a senior in high school, stopped the nonsense when he caught the long handled instrument in mid air and snapped it in half.

"You won’t be needing this anymore, mom" he sneered, and she never clipped any of us again.

While living on Filbert Street mom went to work as an Avon Lady and solicited door-to-door selling cosmetics. I remember the one-inch lipstick samples. Secretly my sister and I tried many shades meant to be samples for Mothers customers.

Patty also had a part time job at P&C Tool Company in Milwaukie. She was soon to accomplish the fourth goal on her list:

"I want my present home furnished to my tastes."

Mom covered the hardwood floors with something new called wall to wall carpet. If you had the opportunity to visit our home you will remember the burnt orange overlay complimented by the picture of the Spanish lady in the elegant shawl who had roving eyes.

"I want enough money to pay my bills and enough left for cleaning, eating out, appliance and furniture maintenance without strain or worry." Mother marked in letters.

Just about that time Dad gave up his job as an electrician. He became a salesman and got paid well for his efforts.

We did get to eat out. Once a year we joined our Filbert street family at Lani Louie's Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve. It was a time when the children enjoyed Roy Rogers and Shirley temples along with the imbibing adults.

New furniture arrived. Mom chose a white sofa she and Dad sat on together conversing and sipping martinis. It was their sacred space where the "well behaved" children were not allowed.

Some of you will remember the days of the May Tag man. He never showed up at our house even though the washer and dryer were going at least eight hours a day.

Patty wanted a future filled with enough security so "we may take lengthy vacations and brief trips at any time."

She accomplished this goal. As children our parents took us camping or boating every weekend without fail. Mom and dad would throw the four of us in the back of the pick up and our first stop was the gas station where fuel smelled like fun.

We learned to step start water ski off the beach of the mighty Columbia River. Occasionally we ate Speck chicken and Shasta soda and it was a real treat. Most weekends, however, it was home fried chicken and Kool aid. Those were the weekends Melanie often robbed the Ushers or Pierettis cooler.

The kids on Filbert Street had a mother in every other house and we were never too far out of range of the parents. Now days the Moms text each other with the where abouts of their children, but back in the day it was a fierce call off the front porch.

Friday night was family night when a host of roving relatives like Glen and Shirley came by. The Ushers, The Pierettis and the Ellison’s joined in our bomb shelter of a basement. Dad made it into a party room big enough for roller skates, a television set and a full bar.

We were well loved, and although life is seldom perfect, mom made us feel like it was so.

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It was in the generation of the empty nest, grandchildren, and second chances that Mom found the second love of her life; Earnest Kaye McReynolds. We called him Mac. He was a former neighbor and long time friend. He and Patty knew each other well before they married and realized another of moms goals:

"Extended vacations."

Mom and Mac were well suited to the task. Mac was an out doors enthusiast who loved the sea and made his career as the captain of a dredge ship.

They traveled the world together by land by ship and by sea. Hand in hand they toured the lower 48 as well as Alaska and Hawaii over a period of five years.

"My favorite places on earth are the Fiji Islands and New Zealand, Mom claimed.

After mac's death our mother continued her travels to include Greece, Spain and Istanbul. She collected treasures from every country, rode a camel and an elephant and had a monkey on her back!

"I want to be reminded of where I have been. Oh the people you meet and the places to go!" She often exclaimed.

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By the time of her death Patty was the last of her immediate family. She buried her parents, five sisters, two husbands and two partners. She was no stranger to death and when it was her time to decide, she opted to do it her way. It would be a quick and pleasant, painless death by going off the medications that kept her fragile body functioning.

When the family gathered for a pow wow with the doctors at the rehabilitation center to discuss her course of action she plainly pronounced:

"I don’t like those options. Guess I was hoping for a miracle."

Within 36 hours she was gone.

• **

In review of her life's purpose I'd say Patty did pretty good. She followed her bliss blessing everyone she met with a smile and a hug. There was always room for one more at the dinner table and she often took in teenagers with unhappy homes.

She broke up fights between Brian and Curt, and was often the referee between the Lisacs, the Bartells, the Fayes and the rest of the kids on Filbert Street.

Mom did it her way. She trusted her intuition and was a spiritual person without letting religion get in the way. I rarely saw her judge but if she did you would be the first person to know it. Patty had no filters and wasn’t very good at zipping her lip!

She was a great conversationalist one on one and would not interfere or compete in mingled dialogue.

Mom condemned no one and was the first to stand up for her friends who had different sexual preferences. To her it was all about relationships.

Mom was a good listener. She never devalued what a person had to say and had a practiced knack for making a person feel important.

She modeled the behavior of an ordinary woman who was extraordinary by authority of virtue. She showed us how to be humble and strong at the same time.

We continue to do everything as a family, as Mother was all about blood. From the matriarch down we have trained the children and grandchildren to continue the saga the original family emulates. The cousins and their children now take beach trips. Go camping and sledding and party.

If there is a pregnancy or a sickness or a scandal or a concern it runs like wildfire through us all as there are no secrets in the Jarmer family.

So in closing we remember our Mother, our friend, Aunt Patty, our Grandma and Grandma great.

You might say that Patricia Ann McReynolds was one of a kind. I'd say so…but those of you who are related? Watch out, She left her DNA!

Source: http://www.sunnysidechimes.com/notices/Patricia-McReynolds