Patricia A McWorter

Patricia McWorter was born Patricia Ann Anderson on April 15, 1937 to new parents Mildred "Millie" and Howard "Andy" Anderson, and she grew up with her parents in Glendale, joined in March of 1941 by her new baby sister, Sharon.

Most of her early years, from kindergarten through high school, were spent in an old two-story home, with the Anderson family living on the first floor and a variety of her mom's family making their home on the second floor. It was wartime, and her maternal uncles were in the military, and her maternal grandfather, a widower, lived in the house until his passing in 1946. They always had lots of family around, and she would often recall the Christmas Holidays as very special times in the household, where her grandfather would set up his special train around the base of the tree.

After graduating from high school in 1954, she applied for a job at "The Phone Company" and got hired in the accounting department, first as a file clerk and then in various stenographer roles. One of her childhood best friends, Lila, was dating a sailor named Dennis, and she asked Pat if she would like to go on a blind date with Dennis friend, who was also in the Navy, offering to make it a double date, and Pat agreed to take a chance.

A man named Jerry McWorter arrived at her front door, 6'1" tall, with dark hair, deep brown eyes, and what she recalled as "a beautiful smile!" That was October of 1954, and they all went to the Santa Monica Pier. Pat and Jerry certainly hit it off, ending their first date with a good night kiss, and they continued dating each time Jerry would return home from sea. Just seven months later, after Jerry had been honorably discharged from the Navy, he proposed to Pat while parked in front of her parent's home, and Pat said ... "maybe!" She felt that she needed to talk with her parents first, especially her dad, but she did accept his proposal the following day, and on March 2, 1957, they were married at the Chapel of Roses in Pasadena. They spent their modest honeymoon exploring parts of California and hitting Las Vegas for a little action.

A month before the wedding, Jerry rented a nice duplex in Glendale so they could begin moving in some of the furniture they were purchasing. So when they returned home from their honeymoon, they made their home in that duplex, and Jerry went to work for his dad, Shelby, who was a masonry contractor, along with doing side jobs as a mason. Pat continued in her job, moving from office to office -- Glendale, Los Angeles, and Van Nuys -- until she was expecting their first child; Jeffrey Allen, a son who arrived on February 8, 1959.

They were able to purchase their first home, a two bedroom on Prospect Avenue in La Crescenta, just across the street from the area elementary school. On July 10, 1962, Pat gave birth to a second son, Wayne Andrew. Jerry used his construction skills to make some upgrades to their home, and they sold it and bought another "fixer-upper" on Liberty Avenue in La Crescenta, where they lived until 1971, when they stretched themselves financially to purchase their "dream home" on Hillside Drive in the Verdugo Woodlands neighborhood in North Glendale. Jeff entered Woodrow Wilson Junior High in Glendale, and Wayne switched from La Crescenta to Verdugo Woodlands Elementary.

For a number of years, Pat worked as a seasonal employee at Tax Corporation of America in Montrose during their busy season, and in 1974, she returned to work at Pacific Bell, and Jerry's mom came to live at Pat & Jerry's for a time to help take care of their boys.

The home at 1615 Hillside Drive became the site of many family gatherings and celebrations. While the modest two-bedroom-plus-den home wasn't huge, it had a large living room that opened to the back patio through double french doors, leading to a large and flexible back yard space that had been landscaped and hardscaped under Jerry's planning, and constructed with the help of his brothers. There were numerous birthday and anniversary parties hosted at that home, and it was the venue for at least five big wedding receptions, including those for both Jeff and Wayne.

Jeff married Kelly Haney in 1978, and the following year, they had their first child, Heather Christine -- and Pat began to experience some of the joys of grandparenthood. Their second daughter, Nicole Suzanne, was born in 1982, and their third child arrived in 1983, a boy who they named Ryan James. Wayne married Margaret Alvarez in 1986, and they would bring two more granddaughters into Pat's world -- Lauren Patricia, born in 1989, and Amanda Kathleen, born in 1991.

At some point, Pat & Jerry decided they would like a second home and started exploring possibilities. Pat's grandmother and uncle had lived in Palm Springs for many years, and she had spent many of her vacation periods with her grandmother in a small cottage on the grounds of an old trailer park. Her grandmother loved that spot, as she had access to a small rock building enclosing a hot spring, where she would soak to relieve her aches and pains. On that site today stands the Spa Hotel, and those hot springs are still there. Jerry enjoyed the Palm Springs area, and they agreed on a plan to make the Coachella Valley the place where they would enjoy their retirement years.

Having taken early retirement from AT&T -- no matter what conglomerate absorbed the regional phone provider, in Pat's household, it remained "The Phone Company" -- Pat was eager for the next adventure, but Jerry had recently been lured away from his long-time job at J.H. Hedrick & Co to earn exponentially more working as a Superintendent with a firm that specialized in luxury multi-unit residential developments, and they "needed" his continued income to bring their plan to fruition. They agreed that they would sell their Glendale home, and Pat would move full-time to the Desert while they rented an apartment for Jerry to live during the work week, commuting to the Coachella Valley each weekend to be with Pat.

Pat and Jerry decided to purchase a condominium at the new PGA West complex in La Quinta. Never before had they lived in a newly-constructed home, and they had lots of fun working with an interior designer who helped direct the process, utilizing their vision of a Southwest motif, incorporating a festive color palette of rose, tan, and aqua. (C'mon, it was the 80s!) Soon after, however, the couple became tempted by the new single family home development opening at PGA West, and they decided to sell their condo and move into one of these new units. Once that new-construction home was completed, they took possession of the keys in September of 1989.

Jerry had always wanted to be his own boss, and rather than becoming a retiree, he dreamed of starting something new in their new community. Eventually, this dream would become Stonecrafters, a high-end business providing consulting and sourcing of stone products, from granite countertops to marble floors, from custom carved fireplace mantels to pieces of stone decor. He began making his plans in his head and on paper, and after living the "weekend commuter" life for two and a half years, he retired and moved into the grand home at 55515 Riviera in La Quinta, where he and Pat were re-united full time.

Whereas the condo had been a playful, cozy retreat, Jerry wanted to make the home on Riviera something more stately, something that could serve as a showcase for the high-end stone products that he was promoting through their new business. Pat was thrilled with how everything at the home was coming together. Of course there were occasional "tiffs" - one of the most memorable being when Pat couldn't quite understand why Jerry "had to have" a custom oversized, solid stone round dining table that was big enough to have eight oversized upholstered arm chairs surrounding it. As usual, Pat gave in to her husband's vision, and he got his table.

They remained in that house for 9 years, and during those years, they saw their new business experience strong successes, as well as hard times. In 1990, they opened a showroom in a new retail development on Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage -- The Atrium, which was conceived as a destination for decorators to access a number of luxury design brands -- and Jerry focused on selling products and installations, while Pat managed the business finances. Later, they would hire Jeff to help his dad on installation jobs, and Jeff's wife, Kelly, to help with various jobs in the showroom, including assisting customers. Pat's lifelong best friend, Sharon Sweeney, relocated to the Coachella Valley, and eventually they hired her to help manage the showroom. This additional support allowed Pat to take occasional time off from the non-stop everyday stress of the business. While Stonecrafters was receiving accolades and awards, in 1991, the couple concurrently began building their own Amway business, which they doggedly pursued for a decade. That pursuit often took them travelling to various Amway conferences, and in April 1995, while at a conference in Kansas City, Pat and Jerry attended a session with a motivational speaker who shared his personal faith in Jesus Christ. The session ended with an altar call, an invitation to anyone who wanted to step forward and commit their lives to Christ. Without looking at one another, and under the leading of the Holy Spirit, each of them stood and made their way from the balcony of the auditorium to the lip of the stage.

Soon after their return home, the couple was invited by a friend to attend a service at Our Savior's Palm Springs, and they began attending regularly, formally joining as members the following year. God was watching out for Pat and Jerry, blessing them with a large and loving church family just in time before leading them into a period of significant trials. Following the economic recession of the early 90s, people were tightening their belts, and after much initial success, Stonecrafters experienced a slowdown in demand from the general market, and the newness and excitement of the Atrium Design Center had cooled, delivering less foot traffic and visibility from designers who might be interested in their goods and services. In 1997, Jerry and Pat decided to put their home up for sale, but the real estate market was lagging, and there was little interest from prospective buyers. But their greatest trial was yet to come.

In December of 1997, just before Christmas, Jerry suffered a major brain injury after hitting his head during a fall on their cold, hard luxury granite floors, and he was rushed to the hospital. He had a concussion and bleeding in his brain, and was admitted to the ICU for observation. By necessity, Pat assumed ultimate responsibility for their businesses, doing what she could to keep things on track, but her primary focus was on Jerry's wellbeing. What if he didn't make it through? A little more than a week later, on New Year's Eve, Jerry was transferred to a rehab facility, where he spent the next 10 days re-learning how to walk, before being released to return home to Pat's care. While Jerry had regained his basic physical abilities, his brain would take much longer to heal. And as often happens with traumatic brain injuries, he emerged with a markedly different personality. There was the old Jerry the generally soft-spoken, genial, strong willed, driven, and uncompromisingly hard worker and now there was the new Jerry a more relaxed, slow-paced, sentimental and emotional human. For those who knew both, it was quite an adjustment to get to know the new man; for Pat, who had been his life partner for more than 50 years, learning to navigate what in many ways was a new relationship was the challenge of a lifetime. She was so happy and thankful that her husband had been spared, and at the same time, she had to mine a new and deeper source of patience and love. Without the support of her church family, she would have felt much more alone, but she was blessed by a giant embrace of support that helped her to navigate this difficult ordeal.

Wouldn't you know it, this would be when the real estate market began rebounding, and Pat found herself trying to take care of those needs at the same time as she was navigating Jerry's homecoming and new needs, as well as attempting to keep the business afloat without involvement from the guy who dreamed it into being. They sold their home at PGA West in February 1998. In November 1998, Jerry was able to return to his work at Stonecrafters, and while the entire team worked valiantly to make the business a success, they finally closed it down in 2003, at which time Pat and Jerry filed for bankruptcy. For several years, they moved from one rental property to another, while working to repair their credit in hopes of one day being able to own their own home again. Pat deepened her relationship with Jesus and grew stronger in faith each day; she came to truly understand that her hope and security lie in a relationship with her Lord and Savior, not with any financial successes. She spent daily time in relationship with her Savior through prayer and study of the Bible. In December of 2006, God graced Pat and Jerry, making it possible for them to purchase a modest home in the Sun City Shadow Hills community of Indio.

In August of 2007, Pat's eldest son, Jeff, suffered a massive heart attack and severe brain damage following a prolonged period of oxygen deprivation to his brain. While he didn't lose his memory, he was unable to recover any physical mobility or capacity to care for himself. His ability to communicate was also severely impaired. While experiencing deep grief, Pat drew closer to God, daily seeking his comfort, wisdom, and peace. She and Jerry never ceased praying for Jeff until 10 years later, when the Lord took him from this world in late 2017.

One of the joys of her life was seeing her family tree expand as her five grandchildren began getting hitched and having kids of their own. Pat had a total of eight great-grandchildren -- four boys and four girls, and she would relish their visits, and would gather and share all of the news about their latest accomplishments.

On April 9, 2021, Jerry's doctor shared alarming news about a decline in his kidney function, and that his previously-diagnosed congestive heart disease had now become a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The recommendation and only real option was hospice care, and he began receiving in-home professional care to supplement the care Pat provided for him. Eventually, when his needs exceeded those Pat and her son Wayne could manage, Pat agreed that he be transferred to in-patient care at a rehab facility in Rancho Mirage, where professionals could ease his agitation and allow him to attain as much peace as possible. On Friday afternoon, April 30, Jerry was allowed to return home, where Pat, her son Wayne, and his daughter Lauren had converged to help care for him. Late the following morning, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of their home.

Pat had many friends who had lost their husbands, and they provided her wise and compassionate counsel. One piece of advice she really took to heart; don't make any major life decisions for at least a year, while you're learning to navigate your new normal. Pat decided that she would continue living on her own in the house she had shared with Jerry for some 15 years, and while the ever present memories were devastating to her, over time, things did get better, and she found a new equilibrium. In 2022, when the world was somewhat finding its own equilibrium following the Covid-19 pandemic, she decided it was time to make a change.

Her sister, Sharon, had lost her own husband decades earlier, and she was living alone in the home she and her husband had purchased when they moved from California to Las Vegas, NV -- a lovely place in the Sun City community in Summerlin, about a 20 minute drive (but a world away) from the craziness of the Las Vegas Strip. Ever since Jerry had passed, Sharon had been telling Pat that she should leave California and move in with her. And in the Fall of 2022, Pat felt that the time was right to take this step. She reached out to her youngest son, Wayne, to see if he and Margaret would be interested in living in the Indio house. They had returned to Southern California once they learned they were to become grandparents, and Wayne was having a tough time landing a new job. Pat had been helping them out financially during this time, and this all seemed like a sensible extension of that support, as she asked only that they reimburse her for the actual cost of mortgage and homeowners dues, along with covering the utilities, and they accepted her offer, becoming the third generation of Pat's "line" to make that desert community their home. Pat and Sharon became "roomies," and they had a blast engaging in shared interests -- which included binging TV series, playing bingo at the local casinos, and naturally, sharing early evening cocktails!

Pat suffered another painful loss in August 2023, when her lifelong best friend, Sharon Sweeney, passed away at the age of 86. While they had pursued different careers and had lived far apart for many years, they were true "soul sisters," and after Sharon relocated to the Coachella Valley, the two were again regular companions, especially after Sharon joined Our Savior's Palm Springs, where Pat was deeply involved. While she had experienced many losses over the years, including her husband, Sharon's death was particularly painful to Pat. Even during her final days when she was confined to a hospital bed, she said to Wayne, "It's strange ... I keep picking up the phone to call Sharon to see what she's up to, and then I remember..."

In late 2023, sometime after a routine check-up and blood test, Pat was diagnosed with Leukocytosis, a condition where one has an abnormally elevated white blood cell count, and her medications were regulated in an attempt to improve the balance in her blood cells. Earlier this year, Pat took a tumble onto her tail bone, and she was hospitalized for a brief time; fortunately, she did not have any broken bones, only the pain which she knew would eventually subside.

Unfortunately, although she was following doctor's orders and using a walker, she lost her balance while moving to another room to do her prescribed physical therapy exercises, and she broke a bone near her hip, and was again hospitalized. She had to undergo surgery to repair and stabilize the broken bone, and the surgery went as well as could be hoped. Pat remained in the hospital for several days before being transferred to a skilled nursing facility. However, it seemed that with each day would come a new health discovery. In addition to Leukocytosis, she was diagnosed with heart failure, kidney failure, and blood cancer. Pat continued keeping her spirits up as best as possible, but on the night of April 2, she was having difficulty breathing, and she was transported to an emergency room for evaluation and care, and after being medicated to relieve her pain and distress, she ended up passing away in relative peace, in the presence of her sister, the following afternoon on Wednesday, April 3, when she was no doubt overjoyed to meet Jesus, and to be reunited with her husband, son, mother, father, and closest friend.

During her long life, Pat had many passions beyond family and friends. She would say that other than family & friends, the great loves of her life were music and travel. She was a member of a glee club or choir throughout her school years, and she joined the church choir at Our Savior's. Through relationships in church choir, she discovered the California Desert Chorale, for which she auditioned and was admitted. She participated in the Chorale for over a decade, also serving as its Treasurer for many of those years. As for travel, she couldn't get enough of it. She travelled five times to Hawaii, she organized two family road trips that together covered all of the Western US, took various other road trips across the U.S., spent time leaf-peeping in the New England Fall, travelled Europe by train (including the Orient Express), and so much more. She had a particular penchant for cruising, and has journeyed by sea to Alaska, around the Mediterranean, and across the Atlantic when taking the QEII from London to New York.

What Pat may not have immediately thought to identify as one of the great loves of her life is something that anyone who knew her could identify instantly. Pat loved a party ... oh, how she loved a party! And wherever people gathered in celebration, Pat would often be the life of the party. She lit up a room, loved to laugh, and loved to gather the latest news from everyone … so that she could share it with others later!

Pat lived a full life, with all its ups and downs, and through it all she found joy, even in the hard times. She is survived by her son, Wayne, sister Sharon Gomez, and huge extended family.