Patricia Lee Stapleton

In Memory of Patricia Lee Stapleton

On April 5, 2013, The Angels came for our beautiful, wonderful, much loved mother. She was at her home in Santa Paula. She was a resident of Santa Paula for over forty years. At a time like this or perhaps never, can words properly convey the love and affection we all felt for her. Possibly some piece of beautiful music such as John Barry's theme from the Movie "Out of Africa" would be better. I know some pieces of music never failed to bring tears to her eyes.

She grew up in the mid-west, attended grade, high school, and College in Kansas City and also at the University of Southern California.

Our mom did photo modeling and other modeling which included screen tests for numerous movie studios in Hollywood, and was involved in various musical productions and plays.

She loved to travel and ventured to all the states including Alaska and Hawaii. She went on a quest to find relatives in England, was successful and traveled all the British Isles, visiting family numerous times that lived in "The Forest of Dean" and Surry, sometimes staying at the homes of her relatives. She loved her British adventure and the south of France, Nice, Paris San Tropez and Martinique, but she always said her trip to Australia was one of the highlights of her life.

She worked in insurance for over twenty years, but in the early 1980s became a realtor and was licensed in three states: California, Arizona and Missouri. She was very successful in Real Estate and received the honor of "The Million Dollar Club" Award.

Our dad and mom owned an airplane at Santa Paula airport that they named "The Magic Carpet" because they used it continually to shuttle back and forth to their second home in beautiful Sedona, Ariz.

Mom was also active in numerous organizations and was president of the PTA when my brother and I attended grade school in the 1960s. During that same period, she sang in her church choir and taught Sunday school at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Recently, she had joined the Presbyterian Church in Santa Paula where once again, she sang beautifully in the choir.

She is survived by her two sons, Robert E. Stapleton, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Janeth of Anchorage, Alaska, and Vincent M. Stapleton and daughter-in-law, Sally of Ojai, Calif.; her two granddaughters, Jennifer and Allison; and five great-grandchildren.

Our family wishes to thank her many close friends for all the caring and help they gave our mother over the years, as well as her wonderful family of friends at the Presbyterian Church of Santa Paula. We will all miss her so much!

A memorial service will be held for her on her birthday, October 9, 2013, at surfer's point, Ventura, a very special place to her.