Patricia Wirhol

Patricia Ann Smith Wirhol passed away quietly at home on Sunday May 3, 2015. She was born to Paul and Irene Smith in Tacoma on November 28, 1929. Her family settled in Olympia, always living on the water for easy access to sailing. She attended Garfield Elementary and Olympia High School, graduating in 1948. A great talent for artwork is revealed in her graphic contributions to the Olympia High annuals - where many classmates greeted her in the personal notes as “Dear Smitty”.

She led a full and eventful life; raising two children, working as a teacher, then owning and operating Dietz Business College in Olympia. She dedicated several decades to public service working with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. They were fortunate to have her, relying on her teaching acumen as they established the original training curriculum for the program. Her retirement years were well deserved, but she continued to give quietly. Until the last few months of her life, she volunteered in the community at the Lacey Library and Group Health Cooperative.

She was constantly studying the things around her, nature, art and history. She was a prolific northwest watercolorist, painting scenes from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho and Montana. In her retirement she found time to tend to other passions; digging in the dirt for various beautiful and old things, and gathering collectibles from garage sales for her small re-sale business . . . always the garage sales. She was a nut on history and a prolific reader of historical biographies. She loved to travel, twice touring France with her daughter. And she traveled extensively with folks from the Olympia Senior Center, all across the west and into Canada. The world was simply a better place with her in it!

She is survived by her children, daughter Paula Kerr (Chuck) and son Pat O’Leary (Karen), both of Olympia, her sisters Virginia Tavner of Missoula and Mary Murphy of Tualitan, her grandchildren Joshua, Leo, Sara and Joey and great-grandchildren Breanna, Ethan, and Caleb. We are all missing her very very much. Patricia’s ashes will be interred on the grave of her beloved grandmother Anna Grenon Smith at Calvary Cemetery in Tumwater. Patricia’s family is holding a celebration of life for her on June 28th at Priest Point Park Kitchen #2. Proceedings begin at 1 pm.

The family suggest contributions in her honor to the American Cancer Society.