Patricia 'Patsy' O. Williams, 90

Patricia “Patsy” O. Williams, 90 passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2017, in Hilo, Hawaii.

Funeral services will commence on Saturday, June 17, at 11 a.m. (arrive earlier for viewing) at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel, with Father Dennis C. Day officiating. Interment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Following the service there will be a gathering for snacks and beverages at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 1325 Pine St.

Patsy was born in a humble shed-sized structure on a homestead farm in Smokey Lake, Alberta, in Canada in 1927. Life was hard, children had to work and there were minimal possessions.

Though she was only able to attend school until the seventh grade in Smokey Lake, she earned top marks in all subjects as she loved to learn. When the family moved to the city of Edmonton, she was able to attend one more year of school before having to quit and go to work to help the family.

As a young adult, she was ambitious, eager to work and eager to learn. Anything Patsy tackled, she achieved through hard work, study and determination. At 18, she left to work at Jasper Provincial Park where she got to meet Bing Crosby during a movie shoot there.

She later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, for work. She and her sisters took trips to the United States, where her sisters met and married military men of various branches. Patsy later met an American sailor, Frank Williams, near Moffett Field Naval Air Base in Mountain View, Calif., and they later married. They were stationed in Honolulu, Hawii, when their daughter Sandra was born in 1952.

Patsy studied and obtained her U.S. citizenship. After the unfortunate divorce, Patsy worked mostly waitressing jobs until she went to secretarial school while working nights in Mountain View, Calif. She then landed a position at Lockheed Aero Space in Sunnyvale, Calif. After 13 years, she moved to Lake Tahoe and worked as a hostess, yet again she worked her way up and became the group sales and banquet coordinator at Harvey’s Hotel and Casino, South Shore Lake Tahoe.

She and ex-husband Frank Williams elected to remarry all the years later for personal reasons without intention of residing together. They maintained a friendly relationship until he died just one year later.

After 11 years at Harvey’s, Patsy relocated to Sandpoint, Idaho, where she could be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She first worked at the Edgewater (now Trinity), then two part-time-temporary civil service positions with U.S. Forest Service and Farmer’s Home Loan concurrently, all while seeking a permanent civil service career. She also took a one-year position with Department of Navy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Eventually she landed a seasonal position with U.S. INS, which back then was under the Department of Justice at the U.S./Canadian border at Eastport, Idaho.

Continuing to seek a permanent position she finally landed a vacancy and transferred to the U.S./Canadian border at Peace Arch crossing in Blaine, Wash. There she worked as immigration inspector to include an assignment abroad to Moscow, Russia, and Rome, Italy. After 12 years of service she moved back to Sandpoint, Idaho.

During her retirement years, Patsy served 16 years as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, beginning in Sandpoint, Idaho, with Flotilla 87, then transferring to Flotilla 19 of Hilo Hawaii, ever studying and testing, she achieved the rank of coxswain. This she enjoyed the most of all she had participated in. And she took her role of serving with Homeland Security very seriously.

Other memberships and affiliations were with the Lockheed Ski Club, Tahoe Boat Club, Tahoe Yacht Club and the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

Patsy is survived by her daughter Sandra Adams of Pahoa, Hawaii, granddaughter Janell Adams of Pahoa, grandson Jerrad Adams of Issaquah, Wash., sister Marianne Nilsson of Sandpoint and sister Nancy Guttry of Sandpoint.

She also is survived by nieces Ria Hokanson of Malahat, British Columiba, Canada, Cheryl Moxley of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, Charmaine Mollett of Post Falls, Idaho, Karen Garrison of Sandpoint, Gwen Furtney of Sandpoint, Denise Welch of Westmond, Idaho, Cathy Jaenen of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Gail Trace of Edmonton. nephews Glen Guttry of Elko, Nev., Brian Blaskey of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho,, Walton Blaskey of San Jose, Calif., Timothy Guttry of Elko, Michael Shopsky of Edmonton and John Shopsky of Edmonton.

She is predeceased by her husband, Frank Williams; her parents, Harry and Mary Shipka; two brothers, Alec and Eddie Shopsky; a sister, Katherine Blaskey; a son-in-law, Scott Jewsbury; and grandson, baby Wesley Adams.

Family and friends are invited to sign Patsy’s online guest book at coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service of Sandpoint.