Patricia B. Craven

She left us peacefully in her sleep at the Memory Care wing of Sunrise Senior Living in Yorba Linda, California, in her 93rd year.

Patricia was born in Higden, Arkansas. After graduating from high school, she met the love of her life, William Henry Craven (Bill), and they were married in 1948. They shared 57 years of marriage until his passing in 2005.

Patricia and Bill began their life together in Warren, Arkansas where Bill was employed as a manager of a small tree farm.

Early in their marriage, the family suffered a heartbreaking loss when their first daughter, Sharon, was killed in a car accident at the age of two while visiting Bill’s mother in Evanston, Illinois.

Patricia and Bill moved to Rockford, Illinois, where they lived on a farm. Patricia helped manage a commercial greenhouse, raised laying hens, and sold eggs, all while raising her family and caring for their home.

She was a devoted mother who loved to cook and encouraged her children to experiment in the kitchen. She kept an immaculate house, and her children fondly remember her practicing vocal scales while doing household chores.

In the mid-1960s, the family moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, when her husband took a position with Colt Firearms, where he later became president. During this time, Patricia began studying voice and pursued opera singing. She commuted weekly by train from Hartford to New York City for voice lessons and studied Italian, French, and German so she could perfect her diction and accent when singing opera. She was very involved in her church, ministering to people in need and often singing as a soloist.

In the early 1980s, Patricia and William moved to San Pedro, California, where they lived until 2005 when her husband suffered a stroke. While in California, Patricia worked for Honda Corporate Finance as a Senior Executive Assistant until the age of 72. She was highly respected by her peers and received many glowing reviews during her career.

After leaving Honda to care for her husband in 2005, Patricia moved to Albuquerque to be closer to her children. While in Albuquerque, she remained very active in her church and continued her ministry helping others. She also began studying Tai Chi and over the next 15 years assisted in teaching Tai Chi classes. She lived independently until 2021, when she moved to an assisted living facility in Yorba Linda, California. Patricia was diagnosed with dementia in 2024 and later moved to the memory care wing of Sunrise Senior Living. During this time, she received many cards and letters from friends but was unable to respond. She appreciated every letter and card and never threw a single one away. Her family is extremely grateful to all of those continued to send cards and letters to her. The staff at Sunrise were devoted to Patricia’s care and did a wonderful job.

Patricia is survived by her three children: Carol Swann, William Winfield Craven, and Janet Tetrault; two granddaughters and two grandsons; and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She will be remembered for her kindness, dedication to her family, her music, her faith, and her lifelong desire to help others. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.