Obituary: Parker, Mary Patricia (Roe) “Pat”
Age 92
Pat was born November 3, 1922 in Seattle.
When Pat was three years old, she and her mother moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where she grew up swimming for miles on Lake Pend Oreille, perfecting her smooth effortless Australian crawl, which took her from the Sandpoint beach to Bottle Bay and back.
Pat grew up in a bilingual home, speaking Swedish and English.
She was very proud of her Swedish heritage.
After graduating from high school in Sandpoint, Pat planned to attend nursing school.
She worked at a soda fountain for a year to earn money for white nursing shoes.
However, Pat spent her earnings on flying lessons instead!
The following year, Pat did go to nursing school at St. Joseph’s in Lewiston.
Upon receiving her R.N.
in 1944, she went to work in California.
In March 1945, Pat married a childhood sweetheart, Fred V. Roe.
Pat and Fred returned to Sandpoint and then moved to Spokane in 1947 where they raised three children, Jerri, Sam and Jan, while building their home.
Together they enjoyed swimming, water skiing, snow skiing and playing tennis.
Pat worked in Delivery Rooms at Deaconess Hospital for 20 plus years.
She was recruited to organize and manage the Labor and Delivery Rooms at the new Valley Hospital.
She later worked as a Nurse Anesthetist for oral surgeons Dr’s.
Newby and Griffith in the Paulsen Building.
Her last joy in working was the St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in Spokane.
Pat kept her R.N.
license until she was 76 years old, went parasailing in Mexico at 82, water skied into her 80s, and remained actively involved in ballroom dancing at the Valley Senior Center until she was 90!
In 2003, Pat married the love of her life, Bill Parker, and continued her joyful approach to life.
Pat is preceded in death by her husband, Bill Parker, and her son, Samuel Berg Roe.
Pat is survived by her first husband, Fred V. Roe, her daughters, Jerri Roe (Dale) of Douglas, AK, and Jan Hartsell of Spokane, granddaughter Kelsey Weyland (Phil) of Lacey, WA, grandson, Casey Hartsell of Spokane, and great-granddaughters Aubrey and Eira.
The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Pine Ridge Alzheimer’s Care Unit for the gentle care of both Pat and her family at the end of her life.
There will be a celebration of her life at a later date before she is returned to her beloved Sandpoint.