Patricia "Pat" Zessin

Patricia “Pat” Zessin, stepped free of her earthly body at her home in Tumwater, Washington on August 25th, 2007 at the age of 69, after a several month struggle with ovarian cancer. She was born in San Jose, California on July 7, 1938 to William Kingdon Monroe and Viola Irene (Leonard) Monroe. Pat and her husband, Larry, were married at South Lake Tahoe, California in 1956; moved to Washington State in 1972 and have made their home in the Olympia/Tumwater area for the past 20 years.Pat was a homemaker and also worked side-by-side with Larry in several family owned businesses over the years. She had an artistic creative soul which she expressed in many different ways, including drawing, painting, sculpting and rug-hooking. She was a voracious reader and accomplished author, having completed several unpublished novels and one published magazine article. She also enjoyed boating and she and Larry were members of the Olympia Yacht Club from 1984-2004. More recently, they had taken up “land yachting” and enjoyed "finally taking that trip back East” with their 5th wheel. She and Larry were charter members of the Briggs YMCA where they swam laps nearly every day. Pat hadn’t been able to swim at the Y for the past few months due to her illness and recently expressed a hope that there will be a beautiful, calm lake in heaven for her to swim in. Pat is survived by her husband of 51 years, Larry E. Zessin; her sons, Mark (Ellen) Zessin of Scappoose, Oregon and Eric (Debbie) Zessin of Graham, WA; her daughter, Ragan Zessin of Olympia, WA; grandchildren, Adam, Aaron, Dalton, Jessica and Jennifer and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death are her parents Viola and William K. Monroe; grandparents, Bertha and King B. Leonard, Sarah and William T. Monroe; brothers, Byron, Jerry, and Darald Monroe; sisters, Helen (Monroe) Daugherty and Edith (Monroe) Chastain-Scheuermann; and infant son Brad. There will be a Graveside service at the Oddfellows Memorial Park on Cleveland Avenue in Tumwater, Washington on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 2:00 PM, followed by a gathering at Pat and Larry’s home at 214 Roberts Road, Tumwater.