June Francine "Francine" PATTERSON

1933 - 2024

June Francine Patterson "Francine" was born June 15, 1933, in Fargo, North Dakota. She passed peacefully at her home December 9, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.

Francine was raised in Fargo, ND, by her parents Dorothy and Chauncey Simons and her Norwegian grandparents. After concluding her primary and secondary education in Fargo she attended North Dakota State University. She had a double major in Zoology and Chemistry along with a triple minor in Sociology, Psychology and French. She was also a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority where she made lifelong friends. She would always reminisce about the fun she had in college putting on dances, skits, and singing with her sorority sisters. She took great pride in the number of National Championships the NDSU Bison football team won over the years.

After college, she married and started her family in Spokane. She eventually moved to the Spokane Valley in 1962 where she lived in the same home until her passing. She loved her family unconditionally. When asked what the best part of her life was, she replied that "it was raising my two boys." Everything revolved around her boys. She had a wonderful gift of making everyone she met feel special and appreciated and her hospitality was second to none. The highlight of every year was her annual trip to Lake Tahoe to spend time with her son Mike and enjoying the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with her son Patrick and his wife Lynn. She treated Lynn like a daughter and enjoyed the reprieve from talking sports with her boys, being able to discuss fashion, flowers and perfumes.

Francine's second family was all of her coworkers at Modern Electric Water Company where she worked as an executive assistant from 1992 until her retirement in 2003. She took great pride in her job and cherished the friendships she had with her coworkers. After her retirement she always enjoyed getting caught up with her Modern Electric friends for occasional lunches and attending their annual Christmas party. Francine enjoyed her retirement and some of her favorite activities were doing yardwork, tending to her roses and peonies among her other assortment of flowers. Francine was always on the go. Her days included bike rides around the neighborhood, meeting friends for coffee and conversation, along with a trip to the mall to check out the latest fashions. Going out to dinner was one of her favorite things to do. Her weekly hair appointments with her longtime friend, Tonya Williams gave her the chance to catch up on all of the latest news.

Although small in stature, Francine was an incredibly strong and independent woman. She took great pride in being up to date with current trends from clothes to hairstyles. To keep her mental acuity, she never missed Jeopardy and was extremely competitive when we were all together. She also took continuing education classes in computer programing and accounting. She was a wiz on her iPad, would order on Instacart and always took an Uber to the airport when traveling. Francine also worked with the Juvenile court system to assist families gain a positive direction moving forward. She was a notably sharp, spirited and energetic person throughout her life.

She loved the Spokane Valley summers relaxing on her backyard patio and listening to the sounds of the birds and the neighborhood while sipping on a Diet Coke. She always felt so lucky to have such wonderful neighbors. Francine truly enjoyed life and she will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Francine leaves behind her son Patrick Patterson, son Mike Patterson, and daughter-in-law Lynn Patterson.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the American Heart Foundation.

Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 1:00pm, at Darcy's Restaurant, 10502 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane Valley, WA 99206. Friends and family are welcome to attend.