Patricia Lou Ruud

Patricia “Patsy” Ruud

Patricia “Patsy” Ruud was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1939, but the story of her life really began on Rose Lake, Idaho, where she was raised by Billie and Hank alongside her brother, Lee.

Patsy loved telling stories about growing up on the lake. She could remember a hundred little moments, and somehow each one told you something about the life she had. She remembered walking miles to school year-round, ice skating on the lake in winter, and watching her mother bake incredible food on a wood stove. She once told the story of her brother flicking a crosscut saw at her while they were cutting wood, leaving a cut across her palm—a story she could tell with equal parts disbelief and amusement. They weren’t wealthy, but Patsy always considered herself rich in the ways that mattered. She had a childhood full of hard work, family, adventure, and memories that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

She went on to marry and raise three boys, Fred, Mike, and Pete Ritzheimer. Patsy was a worker in every sense of the word. She worked through all three pregnancies, right up until the day each of her sons was born, and was back at work within two weeks. During one pregnancy, while working at First National Bank, the bank was robbed. Patsy was held at gunpoint—and, true to her nature, she loved telling that story for years afterward.

Later, Patsy married Carl, and their family eventually made their home in Cheney. It became a wonderful place to raise her boys and, later, her granddaughter Katie.

After retiring from Eastern Washington University, Patsy decided she needed a project. She bought a house on Maverick Lane and finally got to live out a dream: a ranch-style home she could make completely her own. She loved working in the yard, painting, fixing things, and creating a place that felt like hers. She took great pleasure in the little things around her home, especially the animals that came to visit. She fed the pheasants, bunnies, birds, and squirrels, and loved her grand dogs Roxy, Manny, Lady, and finally Rudy.

In the last couple of months of her life, Patsy and Katie began having coffee together on the porch. Those mornings became some of their most precious memories. They talked about everything and nothing. They tried new foods, watched shows, talked about everyone behind their backs, laughed, cried, fought, and made up.

Most importantly, they lived.

It wasn’t always easy. It was hard and messy and imperfect, but somehow it was still beautiful.

Patsy was hardworking, outspoken, independent, and fiercely committed to fairness. She was tough—right down to the very end. She didn’t always say things softly, and she certainly didn’t always keep her opinions to herself, but she cared deeply about the people she loved.

When asked what she considered her greatest accomplishment in life, Patsy didn’t hesitate. It was her boys. Her sons were the thing she was most proud of, and the love she had for them was at the center of her life.

More than anything, Patsy wanted the people she loved to be happy.

That was her wish for all of us