At age 74 Patsy Clayton Layman of Yakima peacefully passed away on December 5, 2018 surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her husband Roger Layman; seven children, Terrill Willett, Rebecca Reiss, Peggy Nolan, David Bell, Chris Bell, Michael Bell, and Ken Bell; her mother Lois Harris; and four Clayton brothers, Raymond, Thomas, James and Charles; plus numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Patsy was born the first of five children on March 17, 1944 in Idaho Falls, ID to Harold and Lois Clayton. Her family owned a farm and she would often comment that she was her dad's oldest "boy" as he would take her out to the fields to work and irrigate with him. As an incentive to earn money, her dad would match her pay if she would hoe weeds from the field to earn enough money to buy a train ticket to Montana where her grandfather lived. She loved going there in the summers, riding the horses and working on the ranch. That is where she developed her love and passion for horses. Later in life she had a family owned Arabian horse ranch.
She was a member of the class of 1962 at Toppenish High School and she especially enjoyed participating in the band and marching in parades with Mr. T's famous H.S. bands. Over the years, Patsy pursued many vocations in life and lived in several locations in the United States. She last worked as a pharmacy tech at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, WA. After retiring in 2013, she and Roger enjoyed many exciting and fun filled travels together, but her favorite place was spending time at Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast. In her travels she enjoyed capturing the beauty around her on film. At home she took pride in beautifying her yard and growing vegetables in her garden.
The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff at North Star Lodge for the wonderful and compassionate care of Patsy this past year. A special thanks to Dr. Mario Chenal, Linda Wells, and Beth Palmer, who can move mountains, and our gratitude to all the kind and caring volunteers.
A visitation for Patsy will be held Wednesday, December 12, 2018 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Keith & Keith Funeral Home, 902 West Yakima Ave, Yakima, WA 98902. A funeral service will occur Thursday, December 13, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lincoln Ave & N "A" St, Toppenish, WA 98948.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com for the Layman family.
