Patricia Kettler
Patricia Kettler passed away peacefully at home on September 24, 2010, after battling melanoma for the last 10 months. She was born in San Francisco Oct 11, 1931, and lived in Sonoma for the past 43 years.
Pat grew up in the Mission District of San Francisco and graduated valedictorian from Mission High in 1949. She then moved north to Eureka, Ca where she met her late husband, Richard. They married in 1953 and were together for over 54 years. Pat was a loving and devoted wife and mother whose greatest joy in life was her family. They settled in the Sonoma Valley on a small ranch, where the whole family worked together and raised naturally-fed chickens.
After moving to Sonoma, Pat returned to school and earned her teaching credential in 1972 and began teaching kindergarten at El Verano Elementary School. Over her 20 year career she taught several grade levels and was a caring and kind role model for hundreds of children, loved and respected by students and colleagues alike. After retirement, she continued to be active in local schools, and recently volunteered as a tutor for ESL students at the high school.
Pat was one of the original volunteers when Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) was founded, dispatching calls and distributing food. She and Richard also often opened their home to those in need of a place to stay. Their generosity and compassion helped countless people in need and were an inspiration to her family and all those who knew them.
Pat was a much beloved and very active member of St Leo’s Catholic Church, involved in teaching religious education classes, the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, helping distribute food for the St Vincent de Paul Society, and serving as Eucharistic minister.
She is survived by her five children, Dennis, Kathy (Sevilla), Linda, Karen and Chris, and by her grandchildren Sarah, Lisa and Michelle Sevilla, Joshua, Matthew, Heather and Olivia Kettler, and great-grandchildren Alexandria and Damian. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law Jessica Kettler and numerous nieces and nephews.
To her children, grandchildren, and all who knew her, she leaves a legacy of kindness, compassion, and generosity. She was a source of loving stability in her children’s lives, guiding them by her warm accepting nature, compassionate demeanor, and unflappable approach to life. She was steadfast in her faith, and faced her illness with a remarkable degree of courage and grace.
A memorial service will be held at St Leo’s Catholic Church in Agua Caliente on October 8 at 11:00 a.m. followed by a reception in the parish hall. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to share their thoughts and memories at the reception.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to FISH or the St Vincent de Paul Society.
