Patricia Ann McCandless passed away on June 1, 2021 at the ripe old age of 91. Her devoted eldest daughter Laura tended to her hand-and-foot until her final moments.

Patricia was born in Yonkers, New York on February 28, 1930, as Patricia Ann Foley, daughter of Frank and Molly Foley. She graduated from Barnard College (of Columbia University) in 1951 and shortly thereafter married Lyon McCandless. Lyon was a fantastically creative person, but not very practical, and Patricia was the very practical-but-not-very creative antidote to Lyon’s wild imaginings. Together they raised 5 children who are all different expressions of the complex layering of Practicality-versus-Creativity.

Patricia was active for many years with the League of Women Voters, the Bainbridge Island school district, and the Republican party. It is a testament to her genuine wisdom that she became a “swing voter” in 2020 and ditched her lifelong conservative persuasions to vote for (basically) Kamala Harris. Later in life Patricia and Lyon were very active in the Poulsbo Marine Science Center. She was a long-time member of Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo as well as Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church on Bainbridge.

Patricia is preceded in death by her husband Lyon, who passed away in 2013, and her two siblings in the past 3 years. She is survived by all 5 of her children: Laura McCandless of Seattle, Doug McCandless of Manson, WA, Brian McCandless of Troy, NY, Stephen McCandless of Seattle, and Diana McCandless of Olympia, WA.

A graveside service is planned for Saturday, June 12, at 1:00 at Hillcrest Cemetery, and will be arranged by Cook Family Funeral Home. If you would like to honor Patricia, please help the future generations, whether it’s making a contribution to Helpline House of Bainbridge, or volunteering in the nursery at Sunday School, or making special arrangements to enable a family to buy the house you’re selling, or even just taking time to compliment a child on how well they are reading the big words on the big map on the ferry. These are all the sort of things Mom did.