Patricia Jane Bredehoft

Patricia Jane Bredehoft died in Palo Alto, California on August 3, 2025, five days short of her 98 birthday. Many fondly knew her as Pat or Aunt Pat and some as Pattie. A lifelong natural redhead, she fit the stereotype: talkative, energetic and a risk-taker with an occasional fiery temperament. She was a 50-year breast cancer survivor and a fighter to the end. Pat was fun to be around, whether while socializing with work colleagues over lunchtime martinis, entertaining her grand-niece and -nephews, joking with the staff at Trader Joe's or charming her health care teams.
The youngest child of Katherine Vincent Ross and Henry Mauss, Pat was delivered by a midwife August 8, 1927 on a 920-acre farm, homesteaded by her grandfather in Climax Springs, Missouri. She was adored by her brothers Ray and Bob and some would say pampered as the only girl and youngest child. During the financial challenges of the Depression, her mother dreamed of a better life in California, hoping to make it to San Francisco. When Pat was 8, she and her mother secretly left the farm, gradually making their way to Bakersfield, California. To support them, her mother worked as a seamstress and boarding house cook, always assuring that Pat was well tended. Pat proudly reported that because of her mother's sewing skills, she was one of the best-dressed children in school. She maintained that fashion consciousness into adulthood.
Pat actually made it to San Francisco before her mother. As a junior high school graduation treat, her mother arranged for Pat and a girlfriend to travel unaccompanied by train from Bakersfield to Oakland, then by ferry to San Francisco, where they were met at the dock by her Aunt Irene and Uncle Ray.
A natural athlete, Pat played basketball and swam competitively in high school. Later it was pick-up softball with her grand-niece and -nephews and golf in retirement.
Pat enjoyed a 20-year career in personnel at Libby, McNeil and Libby. In the 1960s, while based in the corporate offices in San Francisco and San Mateo, she organized club sports leagues for employees. Later she moved to the Libby cannery in Sunnyvale, which shut down in 1980, prompting her retirement.
After retirement, Pat volunteered at Filoli where she formed lasting friendships while creating items from the garden harvest for sale in the gift shop, laughing during bow-tying parties and taking a lead role for some of the annual Christmas events.
Pat was married three times: after a short war-time marriage dissolved, she had long, loving marriages to Chris Bredehoft (1958 to his death in 1984) and Roger Witte (January 2, 2000 to her death). Preferring spontaneity over tradition or elaborate planning, she and Chris eloped to Reno. Pat and Roger's marriage was a spur-of-the-moment decision one Sunday after church with two friends as witnesses. Fortunately, the minister was free and there was enough time for Roger to change from white to dark socks.
Pat is survived by her husband Roger and his children Cheryl Witte-Haedt and Greg Witte (wife Stacey); niece Nancy Clum and her children Dane, Alicia and Brad (wife Kelila); sister Sharon Wallace and family; and nephew Ron Bredehoft (wife Sue). She was preceded in death by her husband Chris, baby brother Vincent and older brothers Ray and Bob.