Patricia Ann Wilson

Patricia Wilson ‘Pat’ 83 passed away May 3, 2023, in the loving care and home of her daughter Darla in Idaho. In her later years she was also in the tender care of her daughter Kristi and her husband Shammoth in Visalia, California. Pat was affectionately known by her Desert Gold neighbors in Arizona, as the "Christmas Lady," but her story begins before this….

Pat was born in Grass Valley, California on May 26, 1939, to Mabel and Don Breed, and was one of three sisters, Donna and Kathy who preceded her in death.

It was evident early on in her life that Pat always had a ‘Gypsy Wind,’ blowing through her soul; a wind which moved her to far corners of this country. In her teens, she moved to Santa Clarita, where in 1955 she married Terry TenBroeck and they had three beautiful children, Debbie, Scott, and Darla. Later in 1966 she remarried Gary Wilson and had three more lovely children, Gary, Kristi, and Tim.

Pat loved old, rusty, dusty things… specifically antiques that had former lives with stories to tell. She lovingly restored them to their former glory and that passion for antiques and her entrepreneurial spirit led her to run her own antique businesses in California and Reno. Pat was always ahead of her time; she was her own True North.

That ‘Gypsy Wind’ later whisked her to the breathtaking town of Valdez, Alaska where she worked at the Sheffield Valdez Hotel and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation while simultaneously turning her stunning home into the most popular B&B in Valdez at that time. Every morning she presented an extraordinary array of quiches, cherry cheesecake, fruits, and her signature hummingbird cake to her lucky guests. In 1989 during the Valdez Oil spill, there was a very long waiting list for a room in her B&B, and people were also begging her to expand further to her yard for ‘Tent & Tea' and this was the month of March in ALASKA!

Pat deeply loved Christmas…. she truly had a Christmas heart. She decorated extensively with her Victorian Christmas Charm, which included Christmas Villages and of course a signature sleigh bell for each year. She truly did believe in Santa and her belief was very infectious.

In Valdez, she became the first woman to join the Fraternal Order of Eagles. She was always an independent woman; one to be reckoned with and she did things her way.

In the late 1990s that ‘Gypsy Wind’ moved her to buy a motor home in which she independently drove extensively up and down the Alcan and Cassier Highways through Alaska and Canada to places like Yellowstone and many National Parks where she volunteered her time working for the season. More than once she was the only northbound motor home headed to Alaska in November. Her license plate for the motor home was ONTHERD.

She was also a devoutly Patriotic American who always bought a new American Flag every June 14th, our National Flag Day. She was the quilter of beautiful quilts, patching together stories in squares of fabric; a lover of rose wine and a fan of laughter and a good time.

In her own way she taught us all to live our lives more fully…to take risks…and that the most dangerous thing you could do in life was to play it safe. She loved to gamble both in life and at a slot machine…. sometimes it worked out… sometimes not… but for her, it was always about the journey and embracing the adventure. She taught us to love deeply and to just “Believe” and yes…. Santa really does exist.

Pat was preceded in death by her daughter Debbie & Granddaughter Tinna. As Pat journeys on, she leaves a beautiful family… with five remaining children, Scott, Darla, Gary, Tim & Kristi and a number of grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren…this number is somewhat disputed, so it is with the generosity of good humor we leave that there.

Pat also leaves a legacy of strength, love, and a sense of resolve which flows through her family and the ones she called friends. She was very selective about friends, and we were all the better for her embracing us.

Pat possessed:

The Heart of a Lion.

The Soul of a Wanderer.

The Spirit of an Eagle.

The Curiosity of a Cat.

The Tenacity of a Wolf.

The Mystery of the Sea.

“Peace Out and Merry Christmas Forever our Dearest Pat…. We will all carry you forward within ourselves for the rest of our lives.”