Obituary of Patricia Rosemary Hargrave

Patricia Rosemary Hargrave (nee Kozak) August 4, 1945 - March 16, 2017 Patricia Rosemary was born August 4, 1945 to Paul and Mary Kozak in Kimberley, B.C. She was their third child; she had an older brother, Fred, and sister, Marilyn. Patricia loved growing up in Kimberley near friends and family. Sadly her dad died when she was 8 years old which changed the Kozak's life. Her mom turned their home into a boarding house and worked very hard to provide for her family. The siblings were very close and remained that way as adults. Patricia attended a business college in Trail after high school. She met her future husband, Ralph Hargrave, in 1967. They were introduced by her sister and brother-in-law. They were married in 1969 in Kimberley and moved to Riondel for Ralph's job with Cominco. They lived in a cute little house that Patricia made into a home for them. They welcomed their first son, Bill, while living there. Ralph was then sent to work in Pine Point, NWT. This was a hard move for Patricia to be so far from her family and friends. While living in Pine Point they welcomed Fred and Russell to their family. Although they had moved, all 3 boys were born in Kimberley. She was kept on her toes raising 3 boys in the wild but had great memories of their time in the bush. Patricia met many life- long friends in Pine Point sharing coffee, crafts, curling and camping. Camping and fishing were a big part of Hargrave life. She was an expert at packing up 3 boys, food and supplies each weekend. Traveling back to Kimberley each summer was a given. She would tell stories about the marathon 24 hour drive home with Ralph and the boys. Finally after 14 years they were able to move back to Kimberley. Ralph and Patricia built their dream home in Kimberley and loved living there for several years. But then Ralph was needed in Anchorage. Patricia had to say goodbye to friends, family and Canada. It was hard to get used to living in Alaska away from everything she knew. Bill also stayed behind, which was hard. But like always Patricia could make friends with anyone and grew to enjoy her time in AK. Luckily there were Cominco friends there to make the transition easier. She was busy with 2 boys in high school, crafting, gardening and keeping the house running while Ralph was gone. After 8 years Ralph retired and they moved back to Canada. They found a beautiful home on Vancouver Island that they loved. They made many changes to their home and Patricia had an extraordinary garden. After returning to Canada their first granddaughter was born. She and Ralph kept busy spending winters in Mexico and Hawaii. They visited their kids and 6 grandchildren. Patricia was extremely adventurous. She traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and the US with family and friends. She loved to see new places and recently even had the chance to attend the Kentucky Derby. Patricia was a lively, fun loving person who never stopped moving. She was well known as the consummate hostess and many friends have memories of attending a party thrown by Ralph and Patricia. She loved to create and over the years made paper crafts, knit, painting, birdhouses and many garden projects. In the last few years she became interested in jewelry making. Her beaded jewelry usually featured interesting Hawaiian nuts and seeds and was very popular among her friends in Hawaii. This year she was able to sell several of her pieces. She was a great cook and loved to have all her boys' favorite foods on hand when they visited. She spent many hours each summer canning jam. Everyone loved her meat pies and lasagna. Her deep freeze was always full and she could make a wonderful dinner even when unexpected company arrived. Flowers and gardening were a special love of Patricia's. She spent many happy hours in her garden in Nanoose and taking care of her many house plants. People were even known to stop by on the street and ask to see her yard. If there had been a way to keep slugs, snakes and deer out of her yard the garden would've been a more perfect place. She loved to visit nurseries and look at plants, always happy to find some new interesting plant. Her sons and their families were very special to her as well. She loved to have her family on the island with her and take care of everyone there. Her grandkids have special memories of doing crafts, going to Coombs, Butterfly World and Tiger Lily farm with her. Ralph and Patricia were devoted to each other for many years, having just celebrated their 48th anniversary in Hawaii. They enjoyed many things in life together, such as raising their sons, traveling, creative projects, entertaining and visiting family. They really enjoyed spending time in Hawaii each year, making jewelry, weaving baskets and sharing Pu Pu night with their neighbors. They made many great friends over the years in Hawaii. Patricia had several life-long friends who were very important to her even though they were far apart. Being able to email and text in the last few years really helped her keep in touch with many people. Patricia would make a new friend anywhere and could stop to ask directions and come away with a recipe or shopping tip every time. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She was the glue that held everyone together. Patricia is survived by her husband, Ralph, her sons, Bill (Leanne), Fred (Jan), Russell (Kelly) her grandchildren, Celeste, Bella, Micah, Madelaine, Will and Olivia, her sister, Marilyn, nephew, Paul and cousin, Brenda. A funeral for Patricia will be held at 11:00 am on July 28, 2017 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kimberley (502 - Church Avenue). A reception in her honour will be held at 1:00 pm at the Kimberley Conference Center (290 - North Star Boulevard). Donations can be made to Cure SMA at http://events.curesma.org/goto/undefined in Patricia's memory. Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at: www.mcphersonfh.com