Patricia Jarchow Dunkeld

Patricia Helen Jarchow was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1925 and passed away in Portland in May of 2019 at the age of 94, surrounded by her loving family.

After High School, she attended Sara Shon Hooley Business School and became a secretary. At age 23 she joined the Civil Service and applied for service overseas, working as a civilian secretary to the Military Headquarters at first in Vienna (1 year) at the time of rebuilding and occupation by the four allied powers, and later in Saltzburg (4 years) where she enjoyed the rich musical history and performances of, opera, theater and concert hall. She learned to ski, became a member of the ski patrol and traveled extensively in Europe. In the U.S.A. she settled in Denver to work for Shell Oil Company and continued to ski and enjoy the Colorado Mountains. She loved to play bridge with friends, she sewed and was an avid reader. In Denver she met Colin an exchange teacher from England.

He returned the following year and they married in 1958. They lived and worked at Colorado Academy and had three children Bryan, Leslie and Gordon. The family came to Portland in 1963. Pat filled their lives with a number of rewarding outdoor and indoor experiences (camping, hiking, skiing – the museums and the Music Center.) When the children were grown, she worked as a secretary successively to the Multnomah County and City of Portland Auditor. The family spent three years in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., where she ran a cub-scout group and did part-time secretarial work at the University of Illinois. In later years and retirement she and her husband enjoyed both national and international tours with Elderhostel.

She leaves behind her husband, Colin; three children and their spouses; and four grandchildren, Simone, Raichle, Annika and Alec.

Today her granddaughters openly look to her as a role model for their lives. The family will hold a private celebration of her life while they are all together this weekend.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Planned Parenthood.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Patricia Jarchow Dunkeld, please visit our floral store.