After Dad died, Mom started to worry about what picture we would use for her own obituary. So she went out and had some glamour shots taken.
Patricia Packard Lees was the last member of Trekka Trekka Trekka, a social group devoted to travel and having fun whose founding members included her husband, Jay; Marv and Julia Bertoch; Bud and Ila Jack; Herb Price and Bob Wilson. They were famous for their scotch and sodas.
Born in 1923, Mom always felt very lucky to have both her brother, Russ, (whom she called “Brother”- which became his defacto name) and her younger sister Julene (known as Deenie…given names were largely ignored it seems). Mom grew up playing on the stoop of the house of her great-aunts and great-uncle on West 2nd South. They rented out neighboring buildings and Mom would sometimes tag along with her beloved aunt Becky Almond to collect rent from those not-always-above-board West 2nd South businesses(!!)
She met Jay when acting in one of Bob (Robert Hyde) Wilson’s productions in the old Playbox Theatre. Soon after, Jay joined the army, and initially was conveniently posted in Fort Douglas, allowing them to continue the courtship. Later, while Jay was in France fighting WWII, Pat went to the U. When he returned (victorious, by-the-way), they married and she went on to become a much-beloved Jr. High English teacher. They were blessed with four children: Jay Terry, Mindy, Becky, and Rusty. In 1971 the entire family moved to France for a study abroad. Mom oversaw an apartment on the outskirts of Paris and did her best to pronounce “croissants aux beurre” correctly.
Mom built a home in Torrey, Utah where she and Dad loved to spend time with their children, grandchildren, and friends. As we all know, Pat’s smile lives on because it was never ending.
Special thanks to Victor, Monica, and the Haywards.
A graveside service will be held at the Salt Lake City Cemetery at 10:00am, Tuesday, July 28, and from 5-7 pm there will be an open house at the Lees residence (2218 S. 2200 E.).
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