Patricia Anne Taylor

Patricia Anne Leighton was born on June 5, 1954, in Cleveland Ohio to William Frederick and Janice Nadine Leighton. Next to the youngest, she grew up with her brothers and sisters Paul, Prudence, Philip, Pamela and Peter in Rocky River, Ohio.

After moving from Ohio to San Diego, California in the early 1970s, Patricia attended Patrick Henry High School where she was a member of the school’s first marching band and orchestra having played the Flute. She looked forward to the Friday Night football games and gatherings at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor or Straw Hat Pizza afterwards. She liked participating in marching band competitions, music competitions, and loved playing wide receiver in the Powder Puff football games. While in the band, Patricia met her future husband, Tom where they both attended their Junior and Senior Proms together and sat next to each other at their graduation. Patricia graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1972 and in 2022 both Tom and Pat were able to attend their 50th high school reunion.

Patricia Leighton married her high school sweetheart Thomas Taylor on February 02, 1974, at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, California. They maintained a home in the city of Santee where they raised three wonderful children together: Thomas, William, and Katie Anne. In 2023, they both celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary, after having spent over 50 years together.

Patricia Taylor was a Navy wife who supported her husband’s naval career while maintaining the household during their separation periods. She was a devoted mother involved in her children’s school and sporting activities. Patricia became a Cub Scout Den Mother and Tom a Scoutmaster where they both supported their sons achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts Program. As a grandmother, she loved her grandchildren very much and especially looked forward to taking them to the park. Patricia enjoyed horseback riding, camping, prospecting, playing poker, bowling, collecting stamps, coins, crystal figurines, and Disney related items. She never missed attending Comic-Con in order to sit in on the latest Sci-Fi updates concerning on Star Trek, Star Wars, and Star Gate. She was an avid John Wayne fan and enjoyed a wide range of classic western movies. Patricia especially liked watching NFL football - competing in a fantasy league with a winning record. In her latter years, she loved playing the slot machines at the local casino where she and a group of friends became very proficient at reading the slot machine’s payout patterns and could reasonably predict when the next jackpot would hit (they still lost but enjoyed playing anyway).

Patricia Taylor is survived by her husband Thomas Richard Taylor III, her sons, Thomas Richard Taylor IV, and William Robert Taylor with his wife Deanna, her daughter Katie Anne Taylor, her grandchildren Madelynn Louise Taylor and Gavin Brian Taylor, her brother Paul Leighton with his wife Carla, her sister Prudence Craft, and her brother Philip Leighton with his wife Diane. Patricia was predeceased by her father William Frederick Leighton, her mother Janice Nadine (Springer) Leighton, her sister Pamela Audrey Riley, and her brother Peter Leighton.

Burial services for Patricia Anne Taylor will take place on Wednesday July 12, 2023, at 0930 at the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, California. The services will be officiated by the Reverend Dr. Hannah Ka of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, California. Funeral arrangements were orchestrated by the Erickson-Anderson Mortuary in La Mesa, California.

The Taylor family would like to give their heart filled thanks and appreciation to the physicians and medical staffs of the Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, the Kindred Hospital San Diego, and the Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, for taking care and watching over Patricia in our time of need. We are extremely grateful to the angel with the guitar who played our wedding theme (We’ve only just begun) for Patricia just before her passing. We wish to express our gratitude to our caring neighbors who looked after us during our ordeal. Your thoughts and prayers made a big difference in our lives. And a special thank you to Phil and Diane for counseling us throughout this endeavor. Words cannot express the comfort and relief we felt with your overall guidance and support.

“Though her smile is no longer present, and her hand I can no longer touch,

I still have the loving memories of the one I adore so much.

Her beauty and passion are keepsakes, with which I shall never part,

Our Lord now has her for eternity, but I forever have her in my heart.”

I will always love you Pat!

- Her devoted Husband

Patricia Taylor’s family is supported by the Taylor and Moore Families in El Cajon, California, the Cruson Family in Krugerville, Texas, the Leighton and Craft Families in Santee, California, and the Leighton Family in Chicago, Illinois.