Patricia Ann Knudten (née Daniels), 88, of Escondido, California passed away peacefully on May 21, 2024 with family by her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Everet & Edith Daniels; her siblings Roy Daniels, Jr, Wayne Daniels, Robert Daniels, Shirley Cole, and Janice Smith; husbands, Frank McLin, Joseph Girdley, and Jan Knudten; and a daughter Debbie and granddaughter Amber. She is survived by six children: Judy, Jane (and husband Ken), Frank (and wife Tina), Beth (and husband Don), Jon (and wife Lisa), and Ron, with 13 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Pat was born on August 5, 1935 in Roby, Missouri. Pat graduated from Houston High School and attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri where she met her first husband, Frank Donald McLin. Together, they produced five children and moved from California to Iowa, landing in Tempe, AZ in 1964 where they built a life with their large family, which grew as two foster daughters joined the family.
As the kids aged, Pat became a medical transcriptionist for a doctor’s office in Phoenix where she worked throughout her career. In 1977, Pat attended her 25th high school reunion in Missouri where she and her former high school flame, Joe Girdley rekindled their earlier romance. Shortly after, the two married and Joe relocated to Arizona where they lived until both retired to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Pat and Joe enjoyed their years in this region and gardened, fished, and were active in their local church. After Joe died, Pat met and married Jan Knudten. In 2007, they relocated to California where they both had children in the San Diego area.
Pat was dedicated to Christianity her whole life and was a member of Broadway Baptist Church in Escondido, CA. She enjoyed David Jeremiah and Turning Point Ministries when she was homebound. She enjoyed watching “her game shows,” Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Most of all, she was proud of her children and loved to boast about them with all who would listen. She loved dogs, dessert, and chile rellenos (in no particular order). She enjoyed singing hymns, particularly in harmony with the choir, in a trio with her two sisters and later with other talented vocalists. She would often play her favorite hymns on the piano and sing along. However, her favorite thing to do was to play (and win) Mexican Train. With her prized double-twelve box of dominoes and beloved Mexican Train trays, she would enlist anyone and everyone she could in marathon rounds of the game.
A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held later this year along with a Mexican Train dominoes tournament.
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