We are saddened to announce the unexpected passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and sister; Geraldine Ann Patten. Gerry passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Henderson, Nevada, just eight days shy of her 82nd birthday.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan April 1, 1939, the youngest of two daughters, raised by Gladys and Bud Clark; Gerry graduated from Saginaw High School, where she was a popular cheerleader and homecoming queen. She married high school coach, Tom Hiser at age 23, and they were just starting a family when Tom was severely injured in a tragic diving accident. She cared for Tom with her three small children for two years before Tom succumbed to his injuries.
She married radio and advertising executive, Myron Patten of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1976, and they spent the next 40 years mostly in Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada herding over their “Brady Bunch” of eight children, ten grandchildren, and traveling the world. Myron passed away in 2016 at age 90.
"I have lived a blessed life with two amazing husbands,” she frequently said.
A rabid Michigan sports fanatic, Gerry was fiercely competitive, even into her later years, at bridge, skiing, golf, tennis, power walking, and pickleball.
Gerry was a wildly enthusiastic grandmother to her ten grandchildren. You could often hear her voice above the others cheering at her grandchildren’s soccer, basketball, volleyball, Tae Kwon Do and other sporting events. She loved to shop, but only for bargains. Gerry rarely wore anything twice and had a classic sense of style that fit perfectly with her classic blonde beauty.
Gerry was incredibly fit, sometime walking five or more miles a day, often with a book in her hands. But she had a sweet tooth, too. She may have been the thinnest chocaholic in history.
She loved a party as much as her husband Myron and frequently hosted elegant affairs with ease and delight. She was a welcoming hostess and would gladly squeeze in two or three extra chairs for friends at the family dinner table, especially during the holidays.
Although she never attended college, Gerry was a lifetime learner. She was a voracious reader, always non-fiction, and was known for writing notes in the margins and on notepads scattered around the house. She was also a sucker for a good romance. If there is a Hallmark TV movie she hadn’t seen at least five times in recent years, we’d be surprised.
Gerry was a devout Christian, loved to talk about a good sermon every Sunday, and said the Holy Rosary more times than anyone we knew.
Although she was a fierce conversative, she had a bleeding heart for poor and needy people all around the globe. Half the entries in her checkbook in recent years were to charities.
We will remember her for her boundless energy, her love of God, family, friends, and her amazing generosity. Gerry closed every conversation and note to us with “God Bless.” We were indeed blessed to have her care for our family for so many years.
May Geraldine Patten rest in peace, and may she live in the hearts and memories of all who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her sister, Pat Koski of Saginaw Michigan; eight children, ten grandchildren, and more than a dozen nieces and nephews.
A memorial and Celebration of Life will be held at The Lake Club at Lake Las Vegas April 10, 2021 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggest a contribution be sent to one of Gerry's favorite charities, St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmboulderhighway.com for the Patten family.
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