Patsy Ruth Coker

Pat was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Jack and Annie Lou Ross. She graduated from Greenwood High School and The Greenwood College of Commerce.

She married Emerson Keith Coker, whose Air Force career took them to France and Germany before an assignment in Paine Field in Everett Washington, where son Mark and daughter Andrea were born.

From there, the family was stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam era where Pat volunteered at the base hospital serving wounded soldiers as many deviled eggs and chocolate brownies she could make each week. While visiting the mountains on vacation, she took an unforgettable picture of then President Ferdinand Marcos after yelling, “Hey you.” The surprise on the President’s face was priceless.

The family landed next in Indiana where Pat was the neighborhood Mom, with one memorable cold Indiana morning where she drove 10 kids to school in her Volkswagen Bug.

Once Keith retired, having enjoyed their earlier time in Washington, and with other family now living there, they chose to make their life in the Pacific Northwest. Keith began a position at the new college in Olympia, The Evergreen State College.

They bought acreage in rural Olympia, where Keith designed and built the family home. The home was a family project, working evenings and weekends to build it. After Keith passed away, Pat continued living in the country and stayed busy walking the neighborhood and working in her yard and garden, maintaining her valued independence.

Pat was a volunteer at Group Health (now Kaiser Permanente) in Olympia for an amazing thirty-nine years during which time she built many close friendships with the clinic staff and other volunteers. Her baking and crafting skills contributed to many clinic fundraisers, especially at Christmas where the volunteers adopted a local family in need and Pat was often responsible for coordinating the gifts. Each week she volunteered, Pat would fill her pockets with Dove chocolates to share with the doctors, nurses and staff as she made her rounds.

Pat was also a football fan – of course, the Seahawks but also Washington Huskies, Clemson Tigers and Carolina Gamecocks. She insisted on watching football alone and at her home so she could cheer and yell all she would want. A game show lover, but especially Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, everyone knew not to disturb her during this sacred hour each evening.

She is survived by her children Dr. Mark Coker (Gretchen) and Andrea Coker-Anderson (Burke), two grandsons, Ross and Jordan Anderson, and brother Jerry Ross (Paulette). She is preceded in death by her husband Emerson Keith Coker, her parents Jack and Annie Lou Ross and her two sisters Ann McIlvain and Dot Harkins.

While there will be no formal service per her request, the family will announce a celebration of her life at a later date.