Patricia Ann Rossiter Hall was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 8, 1933 to William A. and Lucile Lindstrom Rossiter. She was raised in Helena, Montana which she dearly loved with her whole heart and soul. She attended Brigham Young University, where she met and married Stanley Arthur Hall in 1954. They had five children and were divorced in 1967. She raised her five kids by herself and had a successful career at the University of Utah, where she started as a secretary and rose through the ranks to become the Business Officer for the college of Nursing. She died in Salt Lake City on November 14, 2021. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Lucile, her dear sister, Carol Lynn Rossiter Potter and her great-grandson, Forrest Campbell. She is survived by her five children and their spouses Adrienne Hall Robinson (Tom), James Aric Hall (Karen), Patricia Beth Hall Goings (Greg), Andrea Hall Barnes (Kevin) and Margarette Hall Abeyta (Mike). She is also survived by her 13 extremely devoted grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren as well as her brother, William David Rossiter. These are the facts of her life.
The truth of her life is so much more complex and impactful than mere facts can ever convey. Pat was a brilliant, deep-thinking, cultured woman who created a beautiful life for herself. She loved reading, gardening, travel, theater, art, history and music and in spite of her modest circumstances, found many ways to have all of those things in her life. She was a humble, unassuming woman who had an unbelievably rich inner life. To talk with her was to be enlightened, validated and intellectually nourished. She had a passion for current affairs and until her dementia got the best of her, had a lively curiosity for and deep understanding about what was happening in the world.
She was a pioneering feminist in the 1960s and 1970s and taught her children that they were not limited by gender or circumstances, but only by their own willingness to work hard and pursue their dreams. She was an ally of all people who might face discrimination in the world and taught her children to be the same.
She created a home and garden of beauty and bounty. Everything about her little house was aesthetically lovely, calming and comforting. Her yard was so beautiful that it was a gift to her whole neighborhood.
Her impact on the lives of her entire family is immeasurable. She took on the challenges of single motherhood at age 34 and though it must have been incredibly difficult, she never let her family see her sweat. She did not act like she was making tremendous sacrifices. She acted like a happy, interesting person who was fulfilling her dreams, pursuing her interests and taking five kids along for the very fun and extremely educational ride. She had a great, but unintentional gift for inspiring devotion from her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren and also from her nieces and nephews who have always been so loving and kind to her.
Pat Hall will be missed in too many ways to count, but her children and grandchildren will honor her legacy by creating beauty, being happy, kind, accepting and always looking for the good in any person we meet or any circumstance we face.
We are so grateful to the staff at The Ridge at Foothill, the hospice team and the dedicated group of visiting angels who helped us see our mom through the challenging last stages of her life.
A graveside service will be held at Wasatch Lawn on January 21st at 11:00 am, followed by a luncheon and celebration of Pat’s life at the Cottonwood Club.
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