Patricia Giroux

March 17, 1925 - April 30, 2022

GIROUX, Patricia “Pat” Florence (Wendt) age 97, formerly of Kalispell, Montana; Santa Clara, California; and Mesquite, Texas, passed away peacefully on 30 April 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Joe Giroux in 1989, her mother Minnie Isch Wendt in 1982, her father Gustav Carl Wendt in 1947, her seven siblings, and her daughter-in-law Peggy in 2019. She is survived by her loving children: David (Beverly) of Dallas, Texas; Mark (Eve) of Santa Barbara, California; Richard (Muriel) of Arnold, Maryland; Jay (Peggy, deceased) of Fort Worth, Texas; and Jilleen (Bryan) Read of Leesburg, Virginia; fifteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, as well as many close friends. Pat was born in Kalispell, Montana, the sixth of eight children in a family of German and Swiss heritage living in the nearby farming community of Creston. She graduated from Flathead County High School in 1943 and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Montana in 1947 and worked as a rural school teacher at Prairie City School in Rudyard, Montana. Pat often expressed her heartfelt feelings of love for America to her family and friends as well as her church congregation. Together with her family, she adored and continued to honor her beloved older brother Wayne who served as B-17 pilot during WWII and was killed in action while leading a mission in 1944. In 1948, Pat and her brother Roy were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon after their mother and sister Vivian had converted. Pat often said that she had felt close to her Heavenly Father her whole life, and that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ meant everything to her. Prior to their marriage, Pat’s husband Don of Columbia Falls, Montana, served in the Navy during WWII and earned two engineering degrees from Montana State. Don later took a position at FMC Corporation’s Ordnance Division in San Jose, California, where he worked until retirement. Pat and Don married in 1953, and in 1955 they purchased a home in Santa Clara where they raised their family. They were blessed with four sons and a daughter. The Girouxs enjoyed many summer vacations in their beloved Montana, and they also participated in many reunions with family and lifelong friends. The family was very active in their community and in their church. Don served many years as Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America program, and all four sons achieved the rank of Eagle. Theirs was a musical family. Pat was always willing to serve by playing piano for church services; Don played many instruments including the piano, guitar, fiddle, and the musical saw and often composed music for the family to perform. Jilleen became especially accomplished in piano and viola, currently performing as violist with the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra and is a public school music teacher; Jay plays the organ for his church congregation, plays guitar and composes music. David, a high school math teacher, performs his original songs on guitar as a fun and effective way to teach math concepts—including his nationally popular “Slope Dude” videos on YouTube. Mark and Richard also sing and play guitar, with Mark also playing ukulele and writing many of his own songs as well. During her service in church and community of Santa Clara, Pat made many close friends with whom she kept in touch for the rest of her life. She served as treasurer and then president of the Millikin Elementary School PTA, and she later worked part-time for the school district. Her many years of church service included teaching genealogy classes, serving as ward Primary President, ward Relief Society President, the Stake Primary Board, and as Stake Relief Society President. Don wrote of her: “When Pat Giroux undertakes a task, that task will be done as well as it ever has been done (or better).” In 1985, Pat began working full time as an executive secretary for P. J. Livingston’s industrial real estate company, from which she retired. As hobbies, Pat enjoyed painting china and making porcelain lace dolls. Pat’s lovely and comfortable home was furnished with many fine collectibles and family heirlooms. She was also quite sophisticated in matters of etiquette and fashion. Most of all, she loved having her family gathered together to sing and perform music, share stories, and play games. After the sudden and unexpected passing of her husband in 1989, Pat was able to travel to visit family both in the U.S. and overseas and later served a full-time mission for 18 months in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission. After selling her Santa Clara home and moving to Texas in 2002, she took on further research of her genealogy and wrote a life history for both herself and her husband. Through all of this and well into her 90’s, Pat was a devoted visiting minister to several Church members. She prepared many meals to deliver to the sick and needy, and often visited with the lonely. She was always young-at-heart and continuously built meaningful and lasting friendships with many in younger generations. With her sweet demeanor, she was easily delighted by the simple hugs and greetings and good news from friends, while offering great compassion, understanding, and wisdom to support them through life’s challenges. Don was proud of Pat’s willingness to serve and had great confidence in her as mother to their children. He once wrote to her: “It really is of only minor consequence if ill health causes you and/or I to falter. Our children have been well-directed, and they will carry on.” Pat lived the last four years of her life under the compassionate care of her son, Jay, in Fort Worth, Texas. Flowers may be delivered until evening of Friday, May 6, 2022 to: Blessing Funeral Home 401 Elm St. Mansfield, TX 76063 Funeral service on Saturday, May 7 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2801 Skyline Drive in Mesquite, Texas 75149; Viewing at 9 AM and service at 11 AM; Interment will be on June 8, 2022, Mission City Memorial Park in Santa Clara, California. Alternatively, donations may be made in memoriam of Patricia Giroux to the Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/donations/church/humanitarian-services.html?cid=MemoriaHumanitarian&