Patricia Kiser ’75 Popenoe
Patricia Ann Popenoe died peacefully at home on January 11, 2019, surrounded by family and friends.
She was born Patricia Ann Kiser in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Chester and Mary Ruth Kiser. Pat was the youngest of three children. She spent her grade school years in Baltimore. During middle school, they moved to Palo Alto, California, when her father received an offer to attend Stanford University to pursue his doctorate. On completion, her father took a position at SUNY in Buffalo, New York, where Pat went to Sweet Home High School.
Pat went on to Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in teaching. In 1978, she moved to Corvallis where she met a Christmas tree farmer, Mike Popenoe. Mike and Pat were married August 5, 1979 in Reno Nevada. Their first daughter, Rebecca, was born in May 1980, followed by son, Samuel in 1983 and daughter, Margaret in 1985. During their times on the Christmas tree farm, Pat explored her crafts and artistic inspirations, made baskets, quilted, and gardened all while tending lovingly to her family.
After Mike changed careers in 1991, Pat started a small child care business caring for infants and children under two. The young struggling parents found a caring and empathetic listener in Pat. People were comfortable sharing their hearts with her. She and Mike also shared a passion for improving homes and gardens. Pat painted, wallpapered, and pored over decorating and improvement ideas which she shared with Mike. In November 2007, Pat and Mike moved into their house on Bethel Street. Pat was intent to make it the “cutest little house ever”. But it wasn’t long before her memory started to fail with Alzheimer’s.
Pat spent her final ten years in comfort, love, and happiness as the Alzheimer’s disease progressed until she succumbed. Pat was a wonderful, loving person; loyal and beautiful. We will miss her and remember her fondly always. Pat was preceded in death by her father and mother. She is survived by her husband, Mike; her three children, daughter, Rebecca Clarke of Amity, Oregon, son, Samuel Popenoe of Portland, daughter, Margaret Kurtz of Dundee, Oregon; brother, Tim Kiser of Portland; and sister, Lynn Eisler of Tigard.