Patricia Rose Perkins lived a life of joy, spreading kindness, seeing goodness, and finding beauty in people and in the world around her.
Patricia was born in Mesa, Arizona on March 18, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression. She was the first daughter, and fourth of seven children born to Maurice and Rosabel Brittenham Taylor. Their family lived wherever Maurice could find employment. Her early years were spent going back and forth from the desert to the mountains, but Heber was home for most of her youth. There, she climbed and roamed the hills and gained a love for the mountains. Her parents worked very hard to provide for her and her siblings Bob, John, Dick, Bill, Marie and David.
Her Mom and Dad were avid readers, and their children loved reading as well. Dinnertimes would find a book propped behind each plate. Reading introduced her to a wider world she longed to explore. In her small town she discovered fantastic old books, her favorite being The Prose and Poetry of Rudyard Kipling, which accompanied her wherever she went throughout her life. Her children will always remember her sitting with a good book or reading aloud to the grandchildren.
Longing to explore the world she had only read about, she boarded a train immediately after graduating from Snowflake High School and traveled east to Iowa. Later ventures took her west, to southern California, where she fell in love with the ocean. She worked a variety of jobs, including for a brokerage firm, rising early for NYStock Exchange hours, climbing up and down ladders all day to move the numbers on the stock market board. It was one of the last brokerages to employ girls to mark the board. She loved this job; it was hard, but fun, to learn the many stock symbols, and best of all she had many hours every afternoon to spend at the beach, listening to the soft roar of tumbling waves, feeling the gentle ocean breezes and watching breathtaking sunsets.
She worked and saved until she could attend college at Brigham Young University, where she worked in the English department. One day while sitting on the temple grounds in Salt Lake City, she had a chance meeting with a handsome young man who also had Arizona roots—Max. A springtime romance blossomed and on the Fourth of July, under the fireworks, he proposed. They were married August 7, 1954 in the Arizona temple.
Max built her a sturdy block home in Mesa, while still a student at ASU, a home they cherished for their sixty years of marriage. They created an oasis in their backyard of sweet-smelling citrus, mature pecan trees, heavenly pomegranates, fruitful vegetable gardens and beautiful flowers. They hosted many gatherings through the years and all were welcomed here; dear neighbors, their kind church community and treasured family.
They were blessed with six children: Scott (Luda), Reed (Rose), Mark (Michelle), Sue (James Menlove), Ann (Steve Towne), and Brad. She was so proud of her grandchildren; Maxim, Kristi, Blake, Aubrey, Zach, Luke, Julie, Christine, Rob, and Mike and her many great-grandchildren. She loved each of them, and their spouses, dearly. “Grandma Pat” could often be found snuggling or caring for the little ones.
Together she and Max built their mountain home, which was a favorite spot to spend summers, and for her to grow beautiful flowers to enjoy and share with others.
She found beauty in nature, and loved traveling, including her road trip from Alaska, and more recently visiting the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and other national parks.
Patricia lived a wonderful life of service and devotion to others. She served faithfully in various callings, often as a teacher, and particularly loved her time writing the ward newsletter for her church community, for about a decade. Her exquisite writing and editing skills helped create the numerous family history books that she and Max composed, and she helped Max in his many work ventures. They were a great team.
Her ninety years were filled with spreading kindness, seeing goodness, finding beauty, listening compassionately, and displaying faith and optimism for the future to all of her friends and family.
Expressing her love and faith to her family, a few years ago, Pat wrote:
“It’s been quite the adventure, more ups than downs, more joy than sorrow, plenty of fun and laughs.”
“God has been very good to me. He has been with me every day of my life. He has given me blessings beyond counting and my family is the precious gift I thank Him for every day.”
“I thank my Heavenly Father for each one of you, for His gospel and for His Son. I thank Him for my sure knowledge that He and my Savior live and that Reed and Brad and Max are with them and that we will meet again, in love and happiness. I appreciate every one of you for what you are, and what you do, and I love every one of you with all my heart and soul.”
The family wishes to express gratitude to the many friends, family and care-givers who have lovingly served our sweet mother, including the caring staff from THEMA Health Services who provided hospice care.
A viewing will be held on Friday, December 1, from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. at the Ellsworth Park Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 977 E. Broadway Rd., in Mesa, Arizona. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 1, 2023, at the same location. The concluding graveside service will immediately follow, at the City of Mesa Cemetery, located at 1212 N. Center St., in Mesa. For those unable to attend in person, a live broadcast will be available. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Bunker Family Funerals.
Zoom Link for LIVE service:
Topic: Pat Perkins Funeral Service
Time: Dec 1, 2023 11:00 AM Arizona
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Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.
I loved Pat. I was her hairdresser for many years. She always made me feel uplifted when we talk. She was so kind and gracious, a beautiful lady and friend. God bless this family.
Dear Grandma Pat,
Thank you for all you have done for me over the past 50 or so years. I remember meeting in your living room with other young women to take voice lessons from a friend of yours! That was about the time I became good friends with your daughter Sue. And then there was the Steve & Ann thing that started and just kept on going. I loved visiting you so often in your home in Mesa and in Pinetop. You were always so kind and welcoming to me and my family. One of my favorite memories of you was last fall when you came to visit me in Cortez. We had fun in the big red bus as we ditched S&A and headed out for our own adventures! I will always treasure those times.
My heart goes out to your family. I truly wish I could be there to celebrate your life well lived. Just know that my love and prayers are with all at this tender time.
Much love,
Jeanie