Our dearest mother and grandmother, Pat Swisher, passed away at her home in Gresham on October 4, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. She left a great big hole in our lives. A loving and selfless mother, wife, grandma, friend and family member, she lived through the loss of her husband of 28 years, Fred Swisher, her youngest son David Swisher and her 2 step-sons, Rodney and Tony Jones.
She leaves behind a daughter Sandra Swisher Hoopes, a son, Stephen Swisher and grandson Eric Hoopes. She also leaves behind 4 step-grandchildren, Wendy, Greg, Mark and Jason Jones, plus 5 step-great-grandchildren. She leaves behind many friends and family from the United States and Canada.
Pat was born, Audrey Patricia Ramona Munro on November 11, 1930 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Pat worked for 40 plus years at Portland Adventist Medical Center starting at the old hospital on 60th and Belmont. She loved her job as a lead nurse in the emergency room and her friends from work became her extended family.
Pat was a long time lover of animals, especially her dogs, and leaves behind her beloved dog “Sammie”. She loved ice skating, which she used to do at CVC in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada when she attended school there. She then transferred to Walla Walla School of Nursing. She was dedicated to the Alumni at these schools, and had a deep bond with her fellow nursing students. She hardly ever missed one of her school reunions.
Pat loved sports and played catcher for the hospital softball team back in the day. She was a long time Portland Trailblazer Basketball fan and Los Angeles Dodger Baseball fan. I remember a trip she took with my dad, where she insisted on running the bases at Dodger Stadium.
Music was a big part of her life. She enjoyed singing alto in the choir and singing solos. She liked playing the piano.
After retirement she enjoyed painting classes and developed a whole other group of friends. She was very social and was dedicated to keeping in touch with friends and family. She also did a lot of traveling, up to Canada to visit family and for other reunions, with her friends which were more like family, plus trips to Hawaii, Florida, Mexico and several other places. She was very close to her sisters and their children and grandchildren. She was a truly marvelous person and I’m so very proud to say she was my mother. Please remember her for the very special person that she was.
Memorial service will be on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portland.
