Patricia Ann Castle

Pat was born in Great Falls, Montana on a cold winter day to Laurence Carnall and Dora "Dode" Lynn Carnall. Laurence died when Pat was just four years old. The family lived in Missoula, Montana until moving to Billings for Dode's work. Mom was raised by two independent Montana women—her mother, Dode, and her maternal grandmother, Abby.

It was in school at Billings Senior High that Pat met her livelong partner, Merle Castle, a strong, quiet Missourian. Their first adventures together were on Merle's Harley-Davidson motorcycle, buzzing around Billings and other nearby towns. Pat was attending Eastern Montana College when she and Merle decided they wanted to start a life together. Pat headed out on a big adventure to join Merle in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was attending Marine Corps training. They found a Methodist minister and were married in 1951. They were soon shipped to California. Their first child, Larry Ann, was born at Camp Pendleton, California while Merle was stationed at MCAS El Toro. When Merle was deployed to Japan awaiting orders to Korea, Pat moved to Medford, Oregon with her new baby to live with her mother and grandmother. After Merle returned, they followed Pat's mother and grandmother to Utah. (Dode was transferred there by her work.) While in Ogden, Utah, their second child, John, was born. They later moved to Salt Lake City for Merle's work. Their third child, Doree, was born there.

Pat chose to be at home raising her children for the next few years. But by 1969, she decided to return to university. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree in 1972 from the University of Utah and had the pleasure of sharing graduation day with Larry Ann who received a master's degree from the "U" the same day. It didn't take long for her to decide she wanted to get a Master's Degree, so off she went to Denver University. She and Merle turned it into yet another adventure, traveling back and forth on weekends.

Working to better the lives of children was Pat's career. She worked for the Utah Division of Family Services for many years and in many capacities. Foster care and protective services were her forte. Somehow this five-foot-two-inch-tall dynamo managed to remove kids from dangerous situations, despite difficult circumstances, and these were some of her most proud moments. She went on to mentor many new workers before retiring in 1988, when she and Merle fled the cold Utah winters and returned to Oceanside, California. It wasn't long before San Diego County Social Services heard about Pat and lured her back to work. She made the world a better place for many families in the North County area with her warm, wise and caring interventions. She retired again with a whole new set of friends and colleagues whom she cherished.

Pat and Merle loved to travel and enjoyed numerous adventures. Sometimes they went by red pickup truck around the country, traveling back roads from the West Coast to Florida and New York, sleeping in the back of the truck in sometimes questionable places. Other times they enjoyed trips to Europe with good friends. Many fond memories and good laughs have been had over some of the misadventures.

A whole new chapter of adventures began after Merle's death in 2014. Pat met another passel of friends at cardiac rehab following her cardiac bypass surgery. These friends would later become known as "The Board". They gathered weekly over lunch to discuss politics, world issues and whatever came to mind. They even continued through COVID, meeting in Pat's garage with the door open for full ventilation.

Ask anyone who knew her to describe Pat and the first thing will say is that she was a good listener. She absolutely loved meeting and learning about new people. She also embraced new technologies like Facebook and texting, which she used to keep in touch with everyone. She frequently texted her grandkids to check up on their activities. They all loved the attention.

Pat passed away on June 21,2023, after battling lymphoma and small cell lung cancer like they were yet another adventure. During her last few weeks, she found another group of friends, some doctors and others in various roles at Bayshire Skilled Nursing. She was nicknamed the "Queen of the Castle" by staff. Our family wishes to thank each of them for their support and care of Mom.

Pat is survived by daughters Doree and Larry Ann (Russell Fericks). Merle preceded her in death in 2014 and their son John died in 2012. Pat has six grandchildren: Bradley Castle (Andrea), Bryan Castle (Ashlie), Jefferson Fericks (Sarah), Jaime Schwartz (Mike), Patrick Fericks (Jen),and Bree Ann Castle; 11 great grandchildren and one grand dog, Jack.

Pat's ashes will be placed with Merle's at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, CA. An open house celebrating Mom's many friends and adventures will be held at her home in Oceanside. Anyone wishing to share memories and stories is invited to join us.