Patricia DJ Lange

Rochester - Born a coal miner's daughter in Tylorstown, Wales, Patricia Jones wanted to see the world, and she largely did, often by sheer willpower. She surprised her teachers and family by testing into university, then made her way to London, Montreal and San Francisco where she met her ex-husband in 1961. Their wedding reception was at Fort William Henry, and the fighting commenced shortly thereafter. She gave birth to three children without painkillers, in whom she instilled grit, humor, a lack of discipline and a love of fabulous narratives. She survived divorce, breast cancer, a career as a social worker and a diet heavy on cream. She had a gift for making others laugh at themselves, and an enduring love for dogs, often seen at Ellison Park with rescues in tow. She danced with Soviet Generals in the U.S.S.R., visited inmates at Attica, didn't care for housework and loved the bustle of the Rochester Public Market. She was brutally honest and fantastical, glamorous and down-to-earth. Recently, when asked why she had left her native country she replied, "To find bad dogs and rich men." She is survived by her children, Kyla Hart (Rhinebeck), Erika Geyer (Rochester) and Jason (Portland, ME), her brother Neil Jones (Rochester), and six grandchildren of whom she was immensely proud. If you find yourself in a pub in Ferndale or Tylorstown, Wales, you might ask one of the older gentlemen there about Patricia Jones - you may well hear a tale about the one who got away.