Patricia Jean Young French

Pat French was a woman of strong faith and firm convictions. She had almost 95 years to guide us and to lead by her example.

She never stopped learning, expressing her delight at the opportunity to elect Kamala Harris to the White House, her perennial hope and eventual dismay for a winning Mariners season, her enthusiasm for a good meal, a new baby, an entertaining book, a Jeopardy winner. She effortlessly kept track of the achievements of her three children and nine grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren who all loved puttering around her comfortable apartment at Ida Culver House, organizing and playing with her teddy bears and dressing them in handknits. Those bears and their cozy sweaters are now part of the memories each family shares, a strong mother who worked as an RN when we were growing up, the best and only babysitter when we traveled, the expert knitter who loved a new pattern and someone who wanted a sweater, a devoted partner to our dad who cherished her and is now celebrating with his ‘Blue Eyes.’ She sat with us four little kids after dinner and read ‘The Wind in the Willows,’ she loved to fish and caught salmon in the San Juans, in our carefully handmade by our dad!! boat, she baked fabulous pies and watched major league baseball on Saturdays, laid out fried chicken and potato salad picnics and laughed with close friends and family, loved going to church every Sunday. She passed on as she lived, strong and quiet, on her own terms and slightly impatient for what came next. Already deeply missed.

Memorial service October 19th at 1:00 pm. 

Northminster Presbyterian Church, 7706 25th Ave NW, Seattle.