Patricia 'Patty' (Coggeshall) Dominick, 67

On May 9, 2011, Patricia “Patty” (Coggeshall) Dominick passed away surrounded by family in her home in Whitefish, ending her brave battle with cancer.

Affectionately known as “Grammy” by her seven grandchildren, whom she cherished and loved with all her heart, she is survived by her three married children, Tracey and Scott Gerber of Pound Ridge, N.Y., Bayard and Hunter Dominick of Whitefish, and Wendy and Christopher Wilkinson of Oakland, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gayer Gardner Dominick II; her parents, Bayard and Mary Coggeshall; as well as her in-laws, Bayard and Elizabeth Dominick.

While the world was focused on defeating Hitler and Japan in World War II, Patty was quietly born in Schenectady, N.Y., on Jan. 28, 1944, while her father was serving his country.

She attended the Peck School in Morristown, N.J., and finished prep school at the Westover School in Connecticut. She spent a year at Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C., before marrying and moving to New Haven, Conn., while her husband finished college.

Engaged to be married on their second date, Patty and Gayer moved to Hawaii shortly after Gayer graduated from Yale. While there, they were blessed with the births of Tracey, then Bayard. Visiting Hawaii last year to spread the ashes of her husband, Patty recalled to her children her many fond memories of their time in Hawaii. They had maintained lifelong relationships with many of their friends from their years there.

They moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., where Gayer attended law school. There, the family welcomed their daughter, Wendy. 

Olympia, Wash., became home for the family for 35 years.

Patty was a compassionate and patient wife, mother, sibling and friend. Her heart was full of love and joy. That joy was infectious. Her spirit and strength emboldened those in her life. She touched the lives of many people in very real and personal ways.  

She was the backbone of her family and her community. While she only had three children biologically, she embraced the friends of her children or other kids in the “neighborhood,” as well as the many exchange students they invited into their home or while working at Capital High School, and she influenced, guided and inspired many young people in her lifetime. It was difficult to know Patty without becoming a better, stronger, happier person. 

Diagnosed with stage 3c fallopian tube cancer and leiomyosarcoma in August of 2008, while her husband was already in the third year of his own battle with renal cell cancer, she selflessly focused on taking care of Gayer and supporting her children and others emotionally, while quietly fighting her own day-to-day battle with the same courage, grace, strength and humor that defined her life.

Although it ended too early, Patty lived a full life without regret. Their years in Olympia were filled with tennis, fishing, hiking, skiing, sailing and camping with friends and family. They raised llamas, bison, Herefords, miniature donkeys, wild turkeys, pheasant, quail, goats, sheep, pigs and a seemingly endless menagerie of animals that kept the family busy.

Patty lived a simple life appreciating the joys of every day, fresh air, views of Mount Rainier, holding a grandchild in her arms or sharing a glass of wine with a friend, but it was a complete life. 

In her last years, she took every moment possible to appreciate all that was good in her life and never once outwardly felt sorry for herself or expressed anger about the unfair cards she had been dealt. Over the last two years she traveled to Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Hawaii, Mexico, Quebec and the Bahamas. She skied 28 days and had knee surgery to allow her to keep skiing.

Even as she was about to start hospice care, she made plans to join her son in North Carolina to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary. Her optimism and hope and desire to live life to its fullest carried through to her last days of life. She enjoyed her last day, Mother's Day, sitting in the sunshine on her deck, with a view of Whitefish Lake and Big Mountain reminiscing with her family.

She leaves this world content that she had raised three children that she was proud of, that her seven grandchildren got to know her and confident they were all in good hands, blessed with her values and spirit, with a future full of hope and opportunity. 

She was loved by many and will be missed by all, especially her family and her two Havanese dogs, Bear and Benny.

“She is with Gayer once again and at peace.” 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Vital Ground (http://www.vitalground.org) to help protect grizzly bear habitat. Vital Ground is an organization whose work became a passion of both Patty and Gayer over the years. Alternatively, consider a donation to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (http://www.seattlecca.org/) to help find a cure. Their amazing doctors and nurses took great care of both Patty and Gayer. 

 Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Patty's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Patty's tribute wall.