Patricia entered the world on November 22nd, 1924. She was the oldest of two children. Her sister was born when she was 5 years old. She lost her Mom when she was just 5 years old and was lovingly raised by their father Grant Skinner who was the local dentist in Bend, Oregon.
Patt loved to snowski, iceskate and many other activities that had to do with the out doors. She was a good waterskier as well. I believe she picked up her green thumb for gardening from her Dad who for as long as I remember had beautiful gardens with fresh strawberries and every kind of flower you could imagine.
She was a total pin-up girl for WWII. Patt worked very hard during the war as a red cross worker, helping soldiers who had been injured. She lost alot of her male classmates during that time. She said it was incredibly tough losing her friends to battle. Even my father was shot down 10 miles off the coast of Japan. He was fine, but the pilot didn’t make it and others were hurt. She told me once that my dad didn’t get his purple heart because he wouldn’t go to the hospital as he was the lucky one with just scrapes and bruises.
Patt was corresponding with Dayton Keith Crosswhite from Prineville, Oregon and many others who were serving our country during that time. She knew Keith from the time she was in school and told me he dumped her when she was in high school, so she paid him back by marrying him. He came home on leave, proposed and I believe they were married within 2 weeks.
They had Terry Grant and Robert when my Dad came home from the War. Rebecca Jo in Kingman, Arizona after my father was transferred with JC PENNY’S. Their last transfer landed them in Holbrook, Arizona where they made great friends and were both very well respected in town. I remember they were very much in love and great friends to one another. My Mom never married again after my Dad passed away in 1967 as he was the love of her life. She told me she just never fell in love again enough to marry anyone else.
Patt worked at the Chamber of Commerce where she actively put together parades and information for the Town of Holbrook. I remember one parade that was pretty big with 3 time Gold medal winner in the Mexico Olympic swimming events, Charlie Hickcox. She worked for the County and also for the Holbrook Superintendant in payroll until she retired. She took that time to go on cruises and many trips to Mexico. The time to travel was always fun for her.
In 1998 Patt got cancer of the throat which ended her speaking abilitiy. She and I got through it, but it was the toughest thing for both of us. We were both so green and angry about it. Not being able to talk, was horrible for her. She never stopped being mad about losing her voice, but she dealt with it. She mastered the Servox and was soon talking again as she got well.
Two years later she developed another growth on her neck and the Doctors thought they got all the cancer, but wanted her to have radiation. She only lasted 31/2 weeks of that and she had had enough. We talked for a long while; she wanted nature to take it’s course and it did. My Mom died 6 weeks later on July 29th 2001. Her whole family was here for most of the time and she quietly passed away at home with me and her granddaughter Mikki at 10:30 in the morning. I believe she was happy to be going back to God as she could feel it was time and did not want to fight anymore at the age of 76. We buried her with my father in Bend, Oregon. I miss her every day. She was a wonderful woman, not without her faults but her beauty and friendship made her perfect to me. — Patricia Margaret Crosswhite
[S5] Find A Grave, → Memorial ID 48121933.
1924 - 2001 (76 years)
Siblings
. Terry Grant CROSSWHITE, b. 10 Jan 1946, Bend, Deschutes, Oregon 
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