Patricia Lavon Stiffler

PATRICIA LAVON STIFFLER

AUGUST 29, 1927 – AUGUST 22, 2023

It is with heavy hearts to share the news that Patricia age 95, passed away on Tuesday August 22, 2023 in Sacramento. She was just one week shy of her 96^th Birthday.

Patricia was born on August 29, 1927 in Portland Oregon to parents Kenneth E. Youell and Molvine (Molly) Golbeck Youell.  During the depression, work was hard to come by in Portland and Patricia’s mom didn’t like all the rain, so at a very young age her father moved the family to Sacramento where he was able to find work in his brother’s construction business. Patricia’s family settled into a little rental house in Tahoe park and during the hard times of the depression they moved from one little rental house to another.

Patricia attended Hagginwood Elementary thru 8^th grade, graduating in June 1941.  She then went to Grant High School for 9^th grade.  With work still hard to come by during WW2 and with money saved from working in construction, her dad moved the family to Canton Oklahoma after purchasing a 40-acre farm for $400 in 1942.  It was a culture shock to Patricia to go from indoor plumbing with hot water in Sacramento to living in a tent under a big elm tree, using an outhouse and having to heat water to take a bath in a big round tub while her dad and uncle built the family home.

She attended and graduated from LongDale High School in Canton, Oklahoma in 1945.  Her graduating class was very small with around 15 students.  In her high school years she enjoyed playing basketball and acted in the lead role of Aunt Minnie in a school play titled Aunt Minnie from Minnesota.  After graduating high school Patricia moved to Enid OK and worked for the Southwestern Bell phone company for two years as a switchboard operator and attended Phillips University for one year. In 1948, she hitched a ride with her Uncle who was driving back to Sacramento to visit family. She always considered Sacramento her home.

Patricia was employed again as a switchboard operator for Sacramento’s Pacific Bell.  A girlfriend set her up on a blind date and she met and fell in love with her husband William Aaron Stiffler.  They had their first date in the big city of San Francisco and got married November 22, 1948 in Las Vegas, when Patricia was 21 years old.  They bought a home in North Sacramento and Patricia settled into the life of a homemaker where she and her husband had 4 children.

Patricia continued her formal education and obtained an Associate Degree in Logistics Management from American River College in August 1981. After retirement, Patricia volunteered and then was employed as an administrative assistant by NAMI CA the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She received letters of thanks from various politicians such as Darrell Steinberg, Joe Serna, Dave Cox and Illa Collins for all her hard work bringing the plight of mental illness to the forefront of mainstream conversations. 

She enjoyed many years traveling with Sports Leisure Vacations and went on numerous interesting trips until her mid 80’s.  She loved to garden, read, listen to National Public Radio (NPR), and enjoyed stimulating conversations related to current events and politics. Patricia was a very generous giving person and supported many charities such as PBS public television, Planned Parenthood, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, the ACLU and other great causes. She was a member of the ERA and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento and enjoyed church services when she could attend.

Patricia was preceded in death by her parents, sister Loyce and brother Edgar.  She is survived by her 3 sons, David Stiffler (Ba) Michael Stiffler,  Derek Stiffler (Therese) and daughter Sheryl Stiffler.  Grandchildren Lona Gatei (Nick), Sharon Nowell (Clarence), Bill Stiffler (Marisol), Andrew Stiffler (Lauren).  Patricia is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren Brittney, Briana, Jordan, Jasmine, Autumn, Christopher, Logan, Eyan, Natalie, Leila, two step great grandchildren Cielo and Arturo  and 3 great great-grandchildren Nicolas, Sophia, Isabelle and another on the way.  2 step great great-grandchildren Aariah and Gabriel.  Nephew Steven Youell (Penny) and nieces Rosemary Chapman (Jim), Kathy Bullcoming, Linda Geelan (Gary)