Patricia Joann Doty
June 25, 1940 - February 12, 2025
Patricia Joann Doty passed away on February 12, 2025, at Tri-Cities Retirement Inn in Pasco, Washington. She was born in St. Maries, Idaho on June 25, 1940 to Raymond and Priscilla (Bradley) Doty. She spent most of her upbringing creating memories on the back of her horse as they explored the hills behind the family home and businesses on Satus Pass in central Washington.
She was known throughout the various circles and times in her life as Patricia, Pat, and Joann. Her grandchildren affectionately called her "Grambo" - a combination of her elevated family status when she became a Grandma, her obsession as an avid Daisy BB Gun collector, and her admirable abilities to hit targets with a variety of guns.
After graduating from Goldendale High School, Patricia moved to Seattle where she started her family, worked a variety of jobs throughout her career, and was a tireless swim team mom for her daughters, Dana and Margaret. In that role, she spent countless hours driving carpool, working swim meets, and participating in the booster club. Interestingly, she didn't personally like swimming, and on the rare occasions that we saw her in a pool, she insisted she couldn't float and she refused to get her hair wet. Imagine our surprise when she decided in her 40’s to invest in a sailboat being built that was to race from San Francisco to Kauai, and then she really shocked us when she chose to be part of the small crew that sailed it home from Kauai to Portland after it won the race!
Patricia moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1981 where she worked in retail, volunteered for a variety of military organizations, and enjoyed traveling to Mexico and Asia with Dan. After her grandchildren were born, she could also be spotted zipping around town in her sporty red car while revving the engine to make it growl and elicit squeals of delight from the kids!
In 2008, Patricia returned to central Washington when she moved to Yakima in order to be closer to Margaret's family. In her free time, she enjoyed volunteering at events and playing Bunco at Wellness House, spending time with friends at The Women's Century Club, sitting on her porch visiting with neighbors while spoiling her collection of cats, and testing her luck on casino slot machines.
Patricia is survived by her daughters, Dana (Alan) Mills and Margaret Filkins; her grandchildren, Zach (Kate) Mills, Nate (Abby) Mills, Carson (Derek) Filkins, and Torin Filkins; four great-granddaughters, and extended family members and friends. Patricia was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Priscilla, sisters, Carol and Pauline, son-in-law, Scott Filkins, and ex-husband, Richard Scarborough.
The immediate family will gather this summer for a private celebration of Patricia's life.