Patricia Moorten

Patricia Moorten Patricia Haliday Moorten, 90, of Palm Springs, Calif. died July 7, 2010 at Moorten Botanical Gardens of natural causes after a prolonged illness. She was born January 11, 1920 to Walter Pagan and Henrietta Jones in Lakewood, Ohio. She married Chester "Cactus Slim" Moorten in 1940 in Los Angeles. From the moment Patricia Moorten came to Palm Springs she fell in love with the village and the flora and fauna of the desert that surrounded it. In a time when few women became activists, Patricia was a pioneer figure, avidly promoting the city and its growth. As a student at USC she studied botany giving her a strong background for spreading her passion for desert plants in a time when California had not yet become conscious of the value of its native species. Together with her husband Cactus Slim Moorten, she began landscaping desert gardens at the homes of such famous residents as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Van Heusen and Walt Disney as well as the grounds of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Her book entitled Desert Plants for Desert Gardens was selected as the official guide for NATO's secret tour of the Coachella Valley. In the mid 1950's she purchased the property on South Palm Canyon and began the life long effort to build a garden to display the world's desert adapted species. It would become Moorten Botanical Garden, an important landmark filled with monumental specimens owned and managed today by her son, Clark. Patricia was very active in pioneering civic organizations, and her leadership was evident in many of the city's earliest groups and offices. She was co-founder and board member of the Desert Museum, Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs Women's Press Club and past president of the National League of American Pen Women. She spent a time as Palm Springs Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Ambassador of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and brought the PTA to Palm Springs School District. She received the Athena Award as Business Woman of the Year and was given the national "Phoenix" Award for Conservation and Education. Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, Chester Moorten; and survived by her son, Clark Moorten and his wife Carolyn Moorten of Palm Springs; as well as four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, family suggests contributions to Angel View and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.