Patricia Clara Varney

A loving wife, daughter and sister, Patti died peacefully in her sleep at her home in San Francisco, California, on November 11, 2012. Her beloved husband, Eric Varney, was at her side when she passed, after a four year on and off battle with colon cancer. She was only 30 years old. The daughter of Jim and Linda Woods, and sister to Jaime, Lisa and Jacob, Patti was born on July 29, 1982 in San Diego, California. She primarily grew up in Springfield, Virginia but also attended school in Virginia Beach, Virginia for a brief period. Patti enjoyed family trips across the country and travel up and down the Eastern seaboard, helping her mom conduct nursing seminars. She enjoyed swimming, softball and cheerleading, outside of being an honor student in school. Patti spent a great deal of time with her siblings and had a particularly close bond with her older sister, Lisa. Her younger brother, Jacob, was one of her rocks as she battled cancer, assisting with her care while she underwent treatments. Patti was educated at the University of Virginia, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, gaining the distinction of being labeled a "Double 'Hoo." Her graduate studies were interrupted when she was first diagnosed with colon cancer in Fall 2008. After undergoing numerous medical procedures and rounds of chemotherapy while attending graduate business school, Patti knocked back her colon cancer by Summer 2009 and was told that her cancer was in remission. Shortly thereafter, in August 2009, Patti met the love of her life, Eric Varney. They graduated together in May 2010 and Patti was not only healthy, but stronger than ever with Eric by her side. Patti was a fun-loving person, a stand-up comedienne, who enjoyed playing games, socializing and watching sports, particularly football. She grew up as a Redskins fan, but became a "Packer Backer" after meeting Eric. She also adopted Eric's passion for travel, with two trips to Europe, including a surprise engagement in Paris, and spending her honeymoon in South America. Patti's most recent project was the planning and execution of her dream wedding, a fete which took place in Charlottesville, Virginia on April 7, 2012, with 175 family members and friends present. Shortly after their wedding, Patti and Eric relocated to San Francisco, California, where she spent her final few months. Patti is survived by her husband, Eric; her father, Jim; siblings Jaime, Lisa and Jacob; nieces Thayer and Holly; nephews Logan, Connor and Luke; her maternal grandmother, Clara DeNearing; and a wide circle of loving, caring family and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Linda, who passed away from ovarian cancer in September 2012. She and her mother became cancer advocates as they waged and ultimately lost their respective battles. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Patti's name to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.