Patricia Fischer

Patricia Anne Fischer, age 83, passed away at home in Zillah on February 6, 2018. Patricia was born in Seattle, WA on May 5, 1934 to Robert and Violet (Adams) Rankin. She grew up in Tacoma, WA along with her siblings, John and Jeanne. Their parents, emigrated to Seattle from Victoria, British Columbia. As children, they made many trips to Victoria to visit grandparents and cousins and she had fond memories of time spent with family in Victoria and at the cabin at Prospect Lake. She returned to Victoria many times over the years with her children and grandchildren. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952 and from Pacific Lutheran College in 1957 with a degree in education. In 1958 she accepted a position teaching middle school in Toppenish. She arrived on the Greyhound bus and got around town by walking. She did not learn to drive until after her four children were born and she returned to teaching full time. Patricia married Frederick Fischer on July 18, 1959 and they made their home on a farm on Lucy Lane in Zillah where they remained for the next 58 years. She taught part-time in Zillah while their children were young and went back to teaching full time in Toppenish in 1975. She taught at McKinley and Lincoln before moving to Garfield elementary where she taught until her retirement in 1992. Patricia was an avid gardener and she and Fred could be seen out in the yard working much of the year. Together they tried growing just about every type of vegetable, but tomatoes and butternut squash were always a focus. She loved to share the bounty from the garden with others and if you came to visit you would likely leave with a box of produce. She also loved to grow flowers and her patch of irises was a source of joy and pride. She loved to play all kinds of games, and her children and grandchildren have many fond memories of playing cribbage with her at family gatherings. In recent years she’d become a devoted player of Words With Friends with those friends and family members who were equally committed. Patricia was a long-time member of the Buena First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school for many years. The church was both a source of spiritual connection and a center for social life. She met many of her closest friends at the church. After raising her family, she spent her retirement years devoting her energies to causes in her community. She taught adult reading classes and volunteered at the polling stations during elections. She was active in the Zillah seniors group and she and Fred spent many hours volunteering at the Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum. During the museum’s annual toy train Christmas, she was active at organizing the kids crafts table. She was a member of the Fortnightly Literary Club, the Zillah Seniors Club, the garden club, the Red Hat Society, and the Toppenish Mural Society. In all aspects of her life she found people that she could help and made it her mission to be a friend to those needing a little extra support and to find ways to help them meet immediate and practical requirements, whether it be a new coat for winter or a trip to the dentist. Patricia is survived by her husband of 58 years, Fred, children Ruth (Craig) Wright of Portland, OR, Robert (Jane) Fischer of Hoffman Estates, IL, Eva (Steve) Lorenz of Bellevue, WA and Sandra (Keith) Wells of Santa Cruz, CA, grandchildren Chris, Emily and Andrew Wright, Megan and Brandon Fischer, Alex and Isabel Lorenz and Conner and Aidan Wells and her brother John Rankin and his wife Pat. Memorial services will be held Saturday, March 3 at 11:00 am at the Valley Hills Chapel in Zillah with lunch reception immediately following at the Zillah Civic Center. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Patricia’s memory to the Yakima Union Gospel Mission online at www.yugm.org or by mail at 1300 N. 1st St., Yakima, WA 98901. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Patricia Fischer, please visit our flower store.