Patricia Ann Borcuk

Patricia Ann Borcuk was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in both her approach to life and in her various relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of "stick-to-it" attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Pat was realistic about life and was always at the ready, prepared to take on any responsibility that faced her.

Pat came into the world on October 24, 1937. She grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan. Pat experienced many things while growing up. She was the daughter of Edward and Jennie Sienko. One of her fond recollections of her parents was when her mom found her smelling boughr loaded cigarettes so when she went to smoke them they exploded. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up, Pat was good at working through the usual family problems and spats when they appeared. She was the one person in the family who seemed to be the most able to keep the stress at bay. She was raised with two siblings. An older brother Edward and younger sister Janet. She was the type of person who seemed to be constantly involved in activities with the other members of his family. Pat and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up, but she was always consistently loyal to them.

Pat's grandmother was Lula Taylor. Pat loved her and they grew especially close when living with each other. Pat was close to other relatives as well; Pat's extended family included.

As a young child, Pat was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Instead, she was willing to wait to be asked to join in. When asked, she would generally jump at the chance.

Though she wasn’t an overtly outgoing child, she did manage to be involved in a number of different areas. As a child, she enjoyed Swimming and Ice Skating and also enjoyed picnics.

Pat was somewhat reserved about her relationships, but those who became her friends understood that she was true and loyal. Her childhood friends included The Beckmeyers.

Pets were an important part of Pat’s life, especially when it came to Boots, a Boarder Collie. Boots went everywhere with mom as a teenager. One of Mom's traveling memories was driving cross country in a Lincoln convertible during summer, when she picked up Uncle Bill in San Francisco then drove home. Also a Hawaii trip.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Pat as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. She always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her. She graduated from Battle Creek High School. While she was serious about her classwork, she also took time to get involved in other aspects of high school as well. Swimming, Ice Skating...and pretty much anything that had to do with the outdoors.

Though the teen years were primarily focused on education, there were plenty of things going on outside of school for Pat. Pat was also involved in the community during her high school years. When Pat and her friends got together, they would go to the lake. Pat began to understand the meaning of responsibility at an early age. No matter what she was responsible for, she always made sure to be painstakingly meticulous. Her first care was a 1949 Pontiac two door.

Pat brought the same traditional values by which she lived her life to how she raised her own family. She was a good parent, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. She was also a walking schedule. She always seemed to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. She had two children, Steven and Cathi Anderson. Fond memories with her children included watching her son play sports and bumming with her daughter. The children would often fill Pat with pride and joy because of their accomplishments. Son with sports and daughter in becoming a ballerina.

Pat tried her best to make sure the children were raised in a warm and nurturing environment. Their house was in a small town in Merrillville, Indiana. A perfect place to raise two children. She was also very traditional about the holidays and vacations on which the family went. Woodside Ranch; Wisconsin Dells. Later on in life, she was also blessed with three grandchildren; Julie, Karlee and Samantha.

Pat greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same work ethic from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in just about every situation; this included small groups, one-on-one situations as well as solo tasks. She enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy or unclear information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, she was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to details, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. While she worked at several jobs over her lifetime, her primary occupation was working as a legal secretary at Post Cereal.

Pat worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary to meet objectives. Earning her paralegal degree in Taxation. She was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, even if that meant going the extra mile.

During her career she became friends with Agnes, Rhoda, Carol, Donna, Willa, Gloria and Denise. They enjoyed lunches, concerts, shows, events....etc.

Pat liked to experience things firsthand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies. She was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Pat always tried to set aside a certain amount of time for working on her hobbies. Some of these hobbies included playing video games. Mom loved spring, driving, dancing and movies. When it came to cuisine, she particularly enjoyed seafood, steak and pasta. When she would read, Pat's favorite reading material was Reader's Digest. Her favorite movies and t.v. programs included; Singing in the Rain, Oklahoma, People's Court and Dancing with the Stars. For music she loved Queen and classical and easy listening.

Pat was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith of Lutheran. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

When Pat looked ahead toward retirement she did her best to be fully prepared. She had begun planning retirement far in advance, so everything was set out well when the time came. Pat retired in Westminster, California. She lived the majority of her adult life in Westminster, then moved to Wrightwood, California where she became a member of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce.

She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled. She took part in Community Book Drives and Car Shows. During retirement, Pat kept company with Max her dog. He loves chasing his toys.

Pat Borcuk left us on March 22, 2011. She passed away at Loma Linda Medical Center. She was 73. The cause of death was cancer. She is survived by son Steven; daughter Cathi; brother Edward; sister Janet. Services will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 2:30 pm in the Westminster Memorial Park Main Chapel. Arrangements under the direction of Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd. Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 893-2421

Many would say that "commitment" is a word that best describes the life of Patricia Ann Borcuk. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from others. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.