Patrick Pat Joseph Mock

Patrick “Pat” Joseph Mock, 59, of Cambria, CA, passed away peacefully at home on February 11 after a recent diagnosis of inoperable cancer. He was born March 18, 1957 in Long Beach, California to Wendell “Bill” Mock and the late Tatiana “Teddy” (Kassube) Mock. He was the youngest of 7 children. Pat attended St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic School and South Torrance High School, where he was on the cross-country track team and competed in 2 marathon runs.

Pat graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology in 1979. He met his future wife, Teresa Hilleary, on the first day of his sophomore year at Davis. After graduation, while waiting for Teresa to finish her senior year at Davis, Pat landed the first of many positions in what became his career, biological/environmental consulting. The couple were married in August 1980 in Teresa’s hometown, Monterey, CA, before heading to Los Angeles to start graduate school at UCLA.

Pat was associated with UCLA from 1980 to 1990, completing his PhD in Biology with an emphasis in physiological ecology and ornithology. Pat and Teresa moved from Los Angeles to San Diego in 1988. Pat enjoyed working for several environmental and engineering companies over the years while in San Diego, and the couple raised their 2 children there. In 2014, Pat was recruited to join Althouse & Meade, LLC in Paso Robles, CA, and the family moved to Cambria. He truly loved his life work caring for the environment, and was known for his raucous laugh and keen sense of humor.

In addition to his devoted wife of 36 years, Teresa, Pat is survived by his special daughter, Caroline, of Cambria, CA, and his amazing son, David, of San Diego, CA; his father and step-mother, Bill and Pauline Mock of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; his sister Nancy (Brian Forrest) of Santa Monica, CA, his brother James (Nancy Daves) of Edmund, WA, his twin sister Judith Halle (Mark), of Reno, NV, his sister Christine Kuran (Joe) of Gaston, OR, his sister Maryanne (John Mahoney) of Alameda, CA, his brother Tim (Colleen) of Long Beach, CA; 7 nieces and nephews (Anna, Daniel, Karen, Katherine, Kevin, Lia, Matthew, and Melissa); 2 great nieces (Katelyn and Sarah) and 2 great nephews (Brayden and Elias). In addition, he leaves behind 2 aunts, Mary (Mock) Schubert Hollopeter of Wood Lake, NE, and Jo Ann (Kassube) Pearson of Indialantic, FL, as well as his Australian foreign exchange student sister, Kirsty Melville of Mission Hills, KS. He was preceded in death by his mother, Teddy.

The Mock and Hilleary families would like to thank the staff at Central Coast Hospice and French Hospital Medical Center for their excellent care in supporting Pat, his family and his friends during Pat’s brief cancer journey.

Arrangements under the direction of Kuehl-Nicolay Funeral Home, Paso Robles, CA.