Hazel Clark Patyrak

Hazel was born in 1921 in Lewistown, Fergus County, Montana to Clarence Walter Clark and Callie Alcorn Clark but grew up in Tigard (Portland), Multnomah County, Oregon. She is preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years Stanley Francis Patyrak, her parents, Clarence and Callie, and siblings William Elmer Clark, Robert Alcorn Clark, and her sisters, Lois Jean (Johnson) Cole, and Doris Jane Clark. Hazel is survived by her sons Richard Clark Patyrak and wife Nancy and Robert Stanley Patyrak and wife Debbie as well as grandchildren Stanley Patyrak and wife Patricia, Brindley Drake and husband Dillon, Michael Patyrak and wife Stacy, Elizabeth Steele and husband Travis, and Daniel Patyrak and wife Staci and numerous great grandchildren. Hazel was fondly known as “GG” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Hazel also is survived by nephews, Jerry, Dan, and Dale Johnson and their spouses and partner as well as numerous other relatives in Michigan, Oregon and Washington State. During her life, as a consequence of marrying an automotive engineer and “missile gypsy”, Hazel resided in many locations. She also was a “buckboards to rockets” woman who started life on a Montana ranch with buckboards and wild range horses and closed her working career closely involved with the Space Shuttle Program where she met astronauts and won awards of which she was very proud. Her residences included: Lewistown, Montana; Tigard (Portland), Oregon; Detroit, Michigan; Ypsilanti, Michigan; Dearborn, Michigan; Waco, Texas; Santa Ana, California; Littleton, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; Slidell, Louisiana; and Missouri City, Texas. Hazel graduated from Tigard Union High School (near Portland) in 1939 where she was Valedictorian. She attended Oregon State University. One of her first jobs was working at a Kaiser shipbuilding plant during World War II. Henry Kaiser had created the WWII “Liberty Ships” which were manufactured using welded construction and pre-assembled techniques. Liberty ships ultimately were launched at the previously unheard-of rate of an average of 42 days as opposed the ordinary construction methods which took months. Her job eventually took her to Ypsilanti, Michigan to work at the new Kaiser-Frazier auto manufacturing facility that Henry Kaiser created to compete with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. It is there that she met her husband, Stanley. Hazel and Stanley were married in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 7, 1947. They resided in Ypsilanti across from the Kaiser manufacturing plant and Willow Run Airport made famous by Henry Ford for its wartime production of B-24 bombers. It is in Ypsilanti that sons Richard and Robert were born.

During her life, Hazel was an extraordinarily outgoing person. She enjoyed all sports and followed the Detroit Tigers and the New Orleans Saints closely. She proudly displayed the Saints banner at her residence in Slidell and again in Missouri City. She also was an avid and very competitive golfer and won several trophys while in Slidell. Although suffering with dementia later in life, she enjoyed watching the “golf channel”. She also seemed to always remember the names of all her great grandchildren while forgetting many other details. A remembrance service will be held at The Settegast-Kopf Co. @ Sugar Creek in Sugar Land, Texas on January 5, 2019 starting at 10:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to St. Vincent DePaul School in Houston, Texas(https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/StVincentdePaulCatholicS/OnlineDonation.html)The Water Project, (www.thewaterproject.org/hazel) or a charity of your choice.