Pearl June Paterson departed this world at the age of 87 on May 9, 2018. We know she is happily roaming new forests, fields, beaches, and gardens with the sun on her shoulders, a song in her heart and much yet to explore.
The fourth daughter of Hugh and Mary Heyes, she was born in the small town of
Comox which lies in the shadow of a spectacular glacier on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She was immensely proud of her Canadian heritage and her English ancestors who pioneered the area.
With Hugh's passing, the family moved to the capital city of Victoria where school-aged Pearl and her siblings enjoyed singing together as The Heyes Sisters on a weekly radio program. Her love of song and the vast catalogue of musical material that began to fill her soul would define how we all remember her.
Pearl attended Victoria Secondary School until it became necessary to join the work force. At sixteen years-old and newly waitressing at Bennett's Café, Pearl spilled coffee on a handsome well-dressed customer who actually didn't seem to mind much--he ended up asking her to be his bride! Leslie and Pearl Paterson immigrated to America settling in Seattle, WA first and eventually Spring Valley, CA. Together they raised three girls and three boys.
When not making endless pancakes and tacos for a hungry brood or washing, hanging, and ironing a mountain of kids clothing, she managed to attend night school and earn her high school GED. She also carved out time for gardening, playing the organ, team bowling and crafts. With a life-long thirst for knowledge, her real passion though became archaeology. She volunteered at the historic Bancroft House adobe and at the San Diego Presidio in Old Town where she was named foreman of the San Diego State College archaeological team excavating the cemetery. Down in the pits she unearthed and catalogued bones, buttons, bottle and pottery fragment and more.
In later years, she and Les enjoyed gold mining together in California and British Columbia, rock polishing and jewelry making. After Les' passing, she became a voracious reader (sometimes two books a week), and loved dancing to the Lawrence Welk Show.
She sang most everyday of her life, sometimes lovely ballads but mostly those wacky hits from the forties and fifties like "Yes, We Have No Bananas", "Mairzy Doats", "My Two Front Teeth" and her favorite, "High Hopes" (about the ant who moves the rubber tree plant). Even in life's closing chapter, she continued to charm us singing funny ditties to punctuate whatever topic of conversation was happening at the time.
Pearl is survived by five children, twenty grandchildren, thirty great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, a younger sister and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
The family thanks the amazing, kind and supportive staff at County Hills Health Care and the Vitas Hospice team.
A celebration of Pearl's life will be held Sunday August 19 from noon to 3 pm at the home of
Sal & Adele Gurrola at Rancho Mesa Mobile Home Park, 450 E. Bradley Ave, Space 155, El Cajon, CA 92021.
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