COMBS, Patricia

Patricia Louise Combs nee Kipp

March 31, 1929 – March 8, 2021

On the afternoon of Monday, March 8, 2021 our beautiful, creative, funny, and brave mother died. How can it be that time has passed so quickly? It seems like yesterday that she was sewing clothes for our brother’s teddy bear, making matching mother/daughter dresses, kissing our wounds, and wiping away our tears while cradling us in her arms.

Mom was born in Concord, California but grew up in the coastal town of Morro Bay. She loved living by the sea, fishing with her dad, buying ice cream on the beach and learning how to dress with style from her mother. One Christmas Eve her father lifted her to the kitchen window so that she could see Santa and his sleigh being pulled by his reindeer as they flew across the sky. From that moment on, she knew he was real and never failed to tell us so. Mom adored her father, Frank, US Navy submariner in WW1, and her tall and elegant mother, Hazel. She was raised as an only child as her older sister died at birth.

Mom married our father, Wesley, in August 1950. All she wanted was to raise a family and live in a house surrounded by a white picket fence, but life had more exciting plans for her. Our family moved from Laramie, Wyoming to Edmonton in 1962 where Mom became a proud Canadian, made many friends, volunteered at a local hospital, and set about discovering a love for design. After the kids were grown, Dad worked in many exotic places, Ghana, Lesotho, Greece, Nepal, Peru, China, Iran, Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, China, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Of course, Mom went too and everywhere she went she made friends and created beautiful homes.

Mom was an artisan. She knit, hooked rugs, made her own vegetable dyes and cross-stitched beautiful samplers which she designed herself. She was interested in archaeology, family history, watching golf and loved the Toronto Blue Jays. Ice cream was her treat of choice. Favorite recipes were her mother’s spice cake and delicious green Jello salad, which was always served in the blue bowl she had received as a wedding gift. Mom was a midcentury housewife, who also loved reading Pliny the Elder and Charles Dickens, was fascinated by the ancient Bog People in Europe, was a top-notch typist and stenographer and had mastered the mystery of shorthand. Mom had deep blue eyes, long slender fingers and her tiny wrists were always adorned with a selection of sterling silver bracelets. Most of all though, Mom was Love.

Mom was predeceased by her parents and our father, Wesley. She is survived by her children: Stan Combs (Holly Morgan), Cindy Combs, Mary Combs, and Sandy (Vince) Ballinger. Grandchildren: Heather (Joly) Travis, Laurel Combs, Matt (Phyllis)Ballinger, and Nate (Lindsey) Ballinger. Great grandchildren: William Travis, Alexander Travis, Katelin (Seth) Williams, Trevor Ballinger, Lauren Ballinger, Ryder Ballinger, and Max Ballinger.

Special Thanks go to the staff at West Highlands Good Samaritans for the love and care they gave to our mother. Over the years, they became our family too and we will miss them.

Flowers gratefully declined. A private service will be held at a later date.

Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a condolence.