Rev. Patricia Annette Walton

Reverend Patricia Annette (Tilley) Walton made her transition from this life into eternal life on October 30, 2025, at the age of 82. She passed peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family and her favorite music.

Born on February 27, 1943, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Patricia attended elementary, junior, and high school in the Boston area. Prior to graduating from Brighton High School in 1960, she met Homer Joseph Walton Jr., who she would marry in 1961. The two celebrated their 62nd Anniversary before Homer's passing in 2023.

Patricia began her family with Homer in Roxbury, MA, where their two beloved children, Aaron and Valerie, were born. Before long, the family moved into their own home in Bellingham, MA.

Patricia was a devoted mother who prioritized education for her children and herself. As a working mother, she initially took on a newspaper delivery route, before spotting a classified ad that changed the course of her life. Patricia was hired as a secretary at Babson College, where she later advanced to Assistant to the Director of Development and secretary to the Dean of the Graduate Program. Her tenure at Babson, which lasted from 1978 to 1985, helped pave the way for both Aaron and Valerie to attend and graduate from the prestigious institution. Patricia also took courses there before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Boston College, where, in 1990, she graduated cum laude and was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society.

During her undergraduate years, Patricia's growing interest in faith and service inspired her to pursue graduate-level studies at the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Counseling at Boston College. She later entered the Master of Divinity Program at Andover Newton Theological School. In May of 1998, Patricia became the Protestant Chaplain at Wellesley College, a role she continued in for six years, until her retirement.

In the year 2000, at the age of 57, Patricia became an ordained pastor with the United Church of Christ, choosing the UCC for its inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ clergy and congregants. For several years, she brought her one-woman show about Harriet Tubman to churches and schools in Massachusetts and California. The play, which she wrote, produced, and performed, highlighted Tubman's unwavering faith and spiritual courage.

After her grandson Jacob was born in 2002, Patricia set her heart on moving West. In 2006, she and Homer started a new life in Beaumont, CA -- driving distance from all of Jacob’s most memorable life events. Not a weekend went by when they weren’t present at their grandson's sports or school event, or on hand to celebrate his birthday. Patricia wasn’t only loved by her immediate family, but also by her kids’ own communities, as she and Homer were welcome at Aaron and Val’s social activities – and came to know the parents, coaches and teachers who were part of Jacob’s life. And, of course, their Beaumont neighbors, who welcomed Patricia and Homer from the moment they arrived, grew into a profoundly supportive circle in Patricia’s life as she navigated the last two years there on her own. She regularly attended Bloom in the Desert church in Palm Springs, often preaching during her retirement. When visiting her family in Los Angeles, she would attend Westwood Hills Congregational Church.

Patricia was preceded in death by her husband Homer, her father Chester De Witt Tilley and her mother Ruth Adele Matthews, as well as her brother Charles Dudley Tilley, her sister-in-law Jodi Walton Scott, and her niece Ruth Wallace. She is survived by her children Aaron Michael Walton and Valerie Michelle Walton, and her grandson Jacob McKenzie Walton. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law Cheryl and Dallas Baugh, her brother James B. Matthews Jr., her niece Tacquice Davis, nephews Joseph Wallace, Reginald Baugh, Steven Baugh, and Jeriah Matthews, and her 94-year-old cousin Ray Coleman. She also leaves behind dearly loved neighbors Joe and DeAnne Nottingham, and Rob and Carmen Gardener, as well as her mentor Sam Johnson and his wife Donna. There are also a host of relatives, close friends, and neighbors who mourn Patricia's passing.

Family and friends are invited to attend Patricia's Celebration of Life memorial on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 10:30am at Westwood Hills Congregational Church, 1989 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles. The interment service will immediately follow at 12:30 at Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence Ave, Inglewood.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Patricia's memory may consider a donation to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), reflecting her lifelong support for equality and human rights www.hrc.im/PatriciaWalton.

Memorial Service will be Livestreamed on 11/18/25 at 10:30AM PST. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW: https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/DJ4OR6pH5PnC8