Patricia (Pat) Deahl

May 22, 1919 ~ April 18, 2008

Patricia (Pat) Deahl died of cancer on April 18, 2008 at her home in Salt Lake City, UT. She is the sister of Mary Foushee of Bluff and visited often through the 49 years. The Foushees have lived in Bluff, loved the country and had made many friends.

She was born May 22, 1919 in Boulder, CO to Marguerite Coulson Parker and Ivor Judson Parker. The family lived in Wyoming and Denver, CO, but moved to Grand Junction in 1928.

Pat graduated from Fruitvale High School in 1936 and from Mesa Junior College in 1938. She taught first to eighth grades in a one-room schoolhouse in Dry Hallow, near Silt, CO for one year, and met her first husband, Edward Pierson in Dry Hallow. They were married in Rifle, Colorado in 1939 and divorced after 20 years.

She is preceded in death by her son, Michael Pierson and daughter, Marilyn Miller. She is survived by her son, K. Judson Pierson of West Valley City, UT and step-son John Deahl of Carrollton, TX. Also surviving are her brother, Paul (Bud) Parker, of Grand Junction, CO and her sister, Mary Foushee of Bluff, UT; and grandchildren, Richelle Jasinski, Jason Pierson, Travis Pierson, Chemille Kerns, Gynelle Nevin, Todd Pierson and Drew Miller; great-grandchildren Arthur Soule and Elise Pierson.

Pat began her career as a proof reader for the Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, where she worked for nearly 20 years. In 1960 she moved to Salt Lake City, where she read proof for the Salt Lake Tribune (NAC). It was at the “Trib” she met her second husband, William E. Deahl, a type-setter/printer. They were married May 14, 1961.

Pat was a woman of courage, honesty and candor. She was a skilled writer and had 40 plus years to go on her memoirs when she died. Reading was her passion.

She was a lifelong Democrat, a longtime member of the ITT Union, an ardent Utah Jazz fan; and found her church home when a friend introduced her to the First Unitarian Church in SLC.

She was an environmentalist, a re-cycler extraordinaire. Her zest for travel was undiminished until the last year of her life. She had a great gift of friendship.

Interment was at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park beside her husband, Bill, who died in 1989. She was cared for during the last months of her life by Janice Pierson, her ex-daughter-in-law and dear friend of over 40 years.

Ann Fern and Beth Sadler, “sisters by affection,” made her last 20 years a time of joy. Project Encourage from the Jewish Family Services enriched her days and Care Source Hospice personnel were blessings to her and her family.

A Memorial Service in celebration of Pat’s life will be held Saturday, May 31 at noon at the First Unitarian Church, 569 South 1300 East, in Salt Lake City.