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Petersen, Patricia

December 21, 2023

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PATRICIA ANN PETERSEN passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, Alberta, on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at the age of 72 years. 

Pat is survived by her husband Wayne of Lethbridge, son Scott (Amelia) of Lethbridge, son Ian (Michelle) of Calgary, grandchildren Evan and Claire of Calgary, sisters Carolyn of Vietnam, Lorrie (Sean) of Longview, Alberta, Susan (Marc) of Vancouver, BC, and brother David (Julie) of Lethbridge. She is remembered by her special “sistas” Brenda Stryker of Foremost, Alberta and Susan Melnyk of Lethbridge.

She was predeceased by her parents Walter and Anne Boras.

Pat was born to Walter and Anne on April 24, 1951 in Lethbridge. She attended grade school in Picture Butte and then received her registered nurse designation from St. Michael’s School of Nursing in 1972. During her nursing training, Pat met Wayne while curling on Sundays with groups of students from University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge College, and both nursing schools. They were married in 1974. Pat worked briefly in Lethbridge then in Kingston, Ontario supporting Wayne as he attended law school. They returned to Lethbridge in 1975 to pursue their careers and start a family. Scott arrived in 1981 and Ian in 1984. Pat was a creature of habit; falling in love with the house bought in 1981 and living there until her passing.

Pat was a proud and dedicated nurse as well as an exceptional teacher and mentor; foregoing opportunities at management so she could remain at the bedside of her patients. She was an original leader of Look Good Feel Better, a support program for cancer survivors. She was recognized nationally by LGFB and named a Woman of Distinction in Lethbridge for this role. Emergency/ICU work was her first love but then the operating room called. A mid-life crisis took Pat to Saudi Arabia to work as an OR nurse in a National Guard hospital in 2003. A member of the Royal Family was one of her patients.

Pat loved to travel; whether it was following Wayne around the golf world, travelling with friends to the United Kingdom, Portugal, Greece, Italy, South Africa, and New Zealand, or sitting in the back seat of the Harley Davidson all over Canada and the western United States. She grew very fond of Palm Springs and looked forward to November and March visits each year.

Pat was fiercely proud and protective of her family; aptly earning the nickname of “Mama Grizzly”. When cancer attacked her in May of 2022, she battled through treatment with courage and confidence; acquiring another nickname from her daughter-in-law as “Warrior Bitch”. She fought the cancer to a standstill but could not overcome the devastation of the stroke suffered on December 18, 2023.

Pat will be dearly missed by her family and her friends. She was, as many of the condolences suggest, a very special lady.

Pat has requested a private family Interment and a really big Celebration of Life later when the weather is warm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Good Samaritan Society, Park Meadows Village, Lethbridge, Alberta (https://gss.org/locations/park-meadows-village/)