On June 24, Patricia Carole Ford – a.k.a. “The Nana” – left us for her next big adventure.

Born July 7, 1940 to Dorothy and Austin Flaherty in Chico, she spent her early years in the hills of Lassen County while her mother worked in Chico and her father went to Europe while serving in World War II.

A couple of years after her parents divorced, her mother introduced her to “That Man” – Howard Duensing – and told her he would be her father now. Little did Mom know that he would become her rock and would support her in each and every endeavor.

Shortly after graduation from Placer High School in 1958, she married Donald Ford. She was embraced by the Ford family and always said she kept the in-laws if not the husband.

The following May she gave birth to Nicole (Nicki).

Pat and Don moved to Arcata when Don got a football scholarship to Humboldt State in 1962.

In 1963 they had another daughter, Claudia (Tootie), and two years after buying the house on Stromberg in 1964 Michael (Mike) was born in 1966.

When Don was diagnosed with Wilson’s Disease in 1968 she was the sole support of the family, working as many as two or three part-time jobs until he was able to return to work. When asked if she was interested in being a church secretary, she replied “Only if I can wear a see-through blouse.” She got the job.

Even during this time she made time to make sure she did whatever her children had volunteered her for, be it Halloween or Pilgrim dresses for the Thanksgiving Play or make cookies for a bake sale. Heaven only knows how many sheets where sacrificed for costumes throughout the years.

She supported us in Camp Fire Girls (having been one herself), dance, cheering, football, baseball and swim team.

She loved college football – the only thing worth watching in her opinion — and was a fan of the Fighting Irish. Once when a television network cut into a game she was watching to broadcast a pro game she wrote a scathing letter to said network. They sent her an apology, along with a tee shirt (size small) with the logo of a team she didn’t like. The shirt became a dust rag immediately!

Mom was a member of Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church, where she wore many hats through the years. The only time she ever drove above the speed limit was when her children made her late for church, where upon arrival she would march us up to the front row during the service.

She was the one eyebrow queen. Once, when I was visiting her at work one of the younger staff members made the mistake of ordering her to do something. The eyebrow went up and another staff member informed him that the next thing to come was usually a spanking!

While a birthday party for her oldest granddaughter she met a new partner in crime, Kathy Strang. They had many adventures including traveling by car to Canada, Washington DC — always about six hours ahead of some natural disaster. All road trips started in Reno, regardless of the direction of the final destination.

She held many jobs and made life long friends at them all.

Most recently she was the office manager for Plaza Professionals, until her stroke forced her retirement nine months earlier than she had planned.

She also had a close circle of friends from the local watering holes at the Plaza.

Mom was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Dottie, best friends Marsha and Kathy, in-laws Claude and Elise, nephews Jimmy and Johnny Warner and brother in-law John Warner.

She is survived by her children Nicki and Al (ZeeBee) Moser, Claudia and Ty Repman, and Mike and Angelique Ford; grandchildren Missey Moser, Darren and Shara Moser, Dustin and Kayla Woods, Ashley Woods, Hannah and Dereck Bell, Morgan Ford and Addison Ford; great-grandchildren, Holden Walsh, Blair Moser, Tanner Woods, Brooke Woods, Addison Stelzig, Blaine Moser, and Natalie Stelzig; as well as sister-in-law Claudia Warner and nephew Joe Warner.

We would like to give special thanks to Laura Miller, Emily Arents, “Hitch” Hitchcock and Mother Sara for your visits to Mom, along with everyone else that offered support and companionship.

We would also like to thank Saint Joe’s, Hospice of Humboldt and Timber Ridge in McKinleyville for helping to keep her comfortable during the end of her life.

Even though she was confined to a wheelchair for close to nine years, she was able to live in her home due to sheer tenacity and only during the final month of her life did she require more care than we could give at home.

I’d also like to thank Hannah Bell for all of her help in the first six months after Moms stroke. I couldn’t have done it without you.

We will gather to celebrate her life when it is safe to do so, but until then, please grab a good book, put on your favorite music and toast her with your favorite libation.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to Hospice of Humboldt, KEET-TV, Planned Parenthood or the charity of your choice.

We love you Mom, you and Kathy try to behave, but if you can’t, we know you’re having a blast!