Patricia Helene Erzinger

Patricia Helene Erzinger, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister, passed away peacefully at the age of 95. Born on December 2, 1930, to Alice (Bryne) and Mathew Robert Juntz in Oakland, CA, Patricia grew up in San Leandro,

where she was on the newspaper staff and swim team at San Leandro High School, graduating in 1949. A young woman of intellectual curiosity and conviction, she went

on to earn a degree in Political Science at U.C. Berkeley. On May 4, 1955, she married Eugene V. Erzinger, D.D.S. at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, CA. After two years at Ft. Huachuca, AZ, they moved with Gene Jr., their first-born, to La Jolla, CA.

Pat pursued goodness, truth, and beauty throughout her life, as evidenced by her love of the arts—particularly classical music and literature—and of nature. Fiercely in dependent, she prided herself on maintaining her physical fitness and health, and into her early 90’s walked the hills of Mt. Soledad daily. Among her children’s most treasured memories are the many camping trips and rigorous hikes the family took in the High Sierra and at the Grand Canyon.

Patricia devoted herself to the service of others, above all the poor and most vulnerable. For more than fifty years, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness and resources to feed the hungry and clothe the naked (Mt 25:35–36) for the people of Tijuana.

While the cornerstones of Patricia’s life were her family and her commitment to serving those in need, these rested on a foundation of unshakeable faith. Her Catholic faith was at the center of everything she did. She and her husband Gene were founding members of All Hallows Parish in La Jolla (1959), where she attended Mass daily—a faithful practice she continued at the Nazareth House after moving there in April 2025. She was an Oblate of St. Benedict, and her many trips around the world always centered on pilgrimage: to Benedictine monasteries, to holy sites, or to mission territories.

Patricia is survived by her five children: Gene Erzinger, Jr. (Caryn), Laurel Berger (Damien, d. 2024), Susan Stark (David), Joanna Erzinger, and Maryana Erzinger; 17 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren (with one more on the way); her brother Robert Juntz (Natalie); and half-sister Barbara (Juntz) Legler.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene, in 1997. The family is deeply grateful for the loving care the staff at Nazareth House provided “Mrs. Patricia” in her final months.

Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee;

All things are passing; God never changes.

Patient endurance attains to all things.

Who God possesses in nothing is wanting

God alone suffices.

— St. Teresa of Avila

A Rosary (10:15 a.m.) and Mass of Christian Burial (11 a.m.) will be celebrated at All

Hallows Catholic Church, La Jolla, California on Saturday, June 13, 2026

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Patricia’s memory

to Culture of Life Family Services, San Diego (friendsofcolfs.org), or the Benedictines of

Mary, Queen of Peace, Rutherford, NC (qopbenedictines.com)