Patricia LaDou Taylor PictureStevensville – Patricia Jean LaDou Taylor was born at home in San Diego, CA on July 29, 1933, to Edward M. LaDou and Beulah V. (Olson) LaDou. Patricia was the third child, coming after brothers Edward and Delbert, and before baby sister Sharon.
Pat lived the idyllic 30’s and 40’s childhood. After settling in the North Park area of San Diego, she spent her days roller skating with her brother Ed and pursuing various adventures with her childhood best friend, her brother Del.
Pat and Del would ride their bikes down Texas Street into the once agricultural area of Mission Valley where they would hunt for worms and swim in the water that accumulated in the gravel pits. Pat always reminisced that her favorite days were spent with a packed sack lunch and a two-mile hike through the canyons to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. She often shared memories of joyful family gatherings held at her Collier Ave home, Mission Beach, and the La Jolla Cove. Pat attended San Diego High School, the “Gray Castle,” graduating in 1951. During this time, her home on Collier became a regular gathering place for her friends, with a ping-pong table in the basement and as many grilled cheese sandwiches as one could eat. After graduation, her parents moved to Mt. Laguna in the mountains east of San Diego and opened the Pine House Restaurant. After realizing an Air Force Base full of eligible bachelors was located nearby, Mom quickly became the weekend waitress at the restaurant.
However, there was only one eligible bachelor who caught her eye and heart: Barney Taylor Jr. They married on February 7, 1954, and moved between Mt. Laguna and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, before finally settling in the Clairemont area of San Diego where they raised their three children: Barney Taylor III, Bret Taylor, and Shari Taylor (Feeser). During those years Mom kept busy running her kids between school functions, Boy Scouts, Blue Birds, Little League, Pop Warner, Cheer practice, and the beach. She loved having her house full of her kids’ friends and was always generous with providing room and snacks.
In the fall of 1976, Pat and Barney moved to a five-acre plot of land in Ramona, CA, where Dad built their house while Mom put on beautiful spreads for all of the friends who helped. Once settled, she took a job at the local Hallmark store and soon became the store manager, a position she held from about 1977 until her “retirement” in 1991 to spend time with her new granddaughter, Julia Jean (daughter of Shari). When Shari and her husband, Shawn, along with Julia, pulled up stakes and moved to Stevensville, MT, in 1996, Pat and Barney said goodbye to California and joined them, building a beautiful new home on spacious land that became a gathering place for their family and many friends throughout the years – Mom especially cherishing her “sisters” in Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. Both Mom and Dad treasured their life in Montana, a place they both remained for the duration of their lives.
Pat will be remembered as a deeply loving mother, grandmother, and friend. She was a breast cancer survivor, an unmatched pie baker, and a profoundly generous woman who saw her role in life as a cultivator of opportunities for her loved ones. She passed into the arms of her Lord Jesus at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, in the home of her daughter, Shari. She was surrounded in love by her “four” children, Barney III, Bret, Shari, and Shawn. The love she poured into her family is held in sacred trust by those who survive her: her children; granddaughter Julia and husband Cliff York of Spokane, WA; grandson Giorgio Romanello of Ocean Beach, CA; and “adopted” granddaughter Molly Hough and husband Correy Glynn of Minneapolis, MN.
Our family could not be more grateful for the gentle, attentive and compassionate care given to Pat over the last four years: Dr. Susan Curtis and Nurse Beth of Lifespan Family Medicine, and the wonderful nurses of Bitterroot Health Hospice. A Memorial in Pat’s honor will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, August 7, 2022, at Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville, MT. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com