Patricia Lee Excell

Patricia L. Excell died peacefully on April 3, 2025 at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Patsy was 78 years old. She fought a long battle with benign brain tumors and experienced complications from a fall the last month of her life.

On March 10, 1947, Patsy was born in Tacoma, Washington, to Aelred Joseph and Etha Iantha Farenbaugh (nee Crowe). Her early years were spent in the care of her uncle and aunt, Jack and Hazel Crowe, on their farm in Olympia, Washington where her love of horses began with her Shetland pony, Smokey.

Patsy’s lifelong interest in government and politics was evident when she attended Olympia High School (Class of 1965). Olympia VFW Post 318 sponsored a “Voice of Democracy” contest with the prize being a trip to the United Nations in New York City. Patsy did not win the contest but her parents were sufficiently impressed with her efforts and enthusiasm that they covered her expenses so that year Olympia VFW sent two high school seniors on the Voice of Democracy tour.

In the fall of 1965, Patsy entered the University of Washington and was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority. She met her future husband, Steven Excell, on campus at her first meeting of the Young Republicans.

On May 17, 1969, Patsy and Steve were married in Olympia, Washington.

In the early 1970's, the young couple relocated to the East Coast and Patsy worked as a secretary for U.S. Senator Charles Percy of Illinois. Upon their return to Washington State, Patsy worked as an asset manager for SeaFirst Bank.

Politics remained their passion and Steve and Patsy, along with John Giese, co-founded Paragon Public Affairs (formerly Applied Demographics) in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle. The firm was busy working in the ‘90s working on the Growth Management Act, private forest landowner rights and many other land use and political issues.

Patsy and Steve were inaugural season ticket holders of the Seattle Seahawks and enjoyed watching home games in the Kingdome for many years. They took pride in restoring an old home in Virginia as well as a 100+ year old Craftsman home overlooking Lake Union in Seattle. They were members of the Puget Sound Yacht Club and had fun gunkholing around Puget Sound aboard their boat, the Sea Otter. Together they watched Seahawks and Husky football, Jeopardy and action movies (the more cars blown up, the better!). Patsy’s guilty pleasures were eating or drinking chocolate in any form and watching figure skating and NASCAR. Patsy remained engaged in moderate Republican politics serving as treasurer for the Thurston County Women’s Republican Club and volunteering on several campaigns. Patsy and Steve relished living on their scenic tree farm acreage in the Steamboat Island community of Olympia, Washington. They were married 54 years.

After Steven's death in 2024, Patsy moved to Monroe, Washington to be closer to her sister, Kay. Patsy's family would like to express their appreciation to the care team at Adkinson Estates Adult Family Home in Monroe for their loving care of Patsy over the last 14 months of her life.

Survivors include sister Kay Jacobs and brother-in-law Steve Jacobs (Monroe); niece Taressa Percival (Mukilteo) and great niece Lauren Percival (Monroe) as well as in-laws Sandra Jean Baker and Fred M. Baker (Centralia), Sharon Ann Schierle and Jason T. Schierle (Lynnwood); and nephews, Andrew Steven Baker (Olympia) and Jack T. Schierle (Lynnwood).