Patricia "Patsy" Williams

Patricia “Patsy” O. Williams, 90 passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2017 in Hilo, Hawaii. Funeral Service will commence on Saturday June 17 at 11 am (arrive earlier for viewing) at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel, with Father Dennis C. Day officiating. Interment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Following the service there will be a gathering for snacks and beverages at the VFW Hall, 1325 Pine St. Patsy was born in a humble shed-sized structure on a homestead farm in Smokey Lake Alberta Canada in 1927. Life was hard, children had to work and there were minimal possessions. Though she was only able to attend school until grade 7 in Smokey Lake, she earned top marks in all subjects as she loved to learn. When the family moved to the city Edmonton she was able to attend one more year of school before having to quit and go to work to help the family. As a young adult she was ambitions, eager to work and eager to learn. Anything Patsy tackled, she achieved through hard work, study and determination. At 18 she left to work at Jasper Provincial Park where she got to meet Bing Crosby during a movie shoot there. She later moved to Vancouver BC for work. She and her sisters took trips to the US where her sisters met and married military men of various branches. Patsy later met an American Sailor, Frank Williams, near Moffett Field Naval Air Base in Mountain View CA and later married. They were stationed in Honolulu HI when their daughter Sandra was born in 1952. Patsy studied and obtained her U.S. Citizenship. After the unfortunate divorce, Patsy worked mostly waitressing jobs until she went to Secretarial School while working nights in Mountain View CA. She then landed a position at Lockheed Aero Space in Sunnyvale, CA. After 13 years she moved to Lake Tahoe and worked as a hostess, yet again she worked her way up and became the Group Sales and Banquet Coordinator at Harvey’s Hotel and Casino, South Shore Lake Tahoe. She and ex-husband Frank Williams elected to remarry all the years later for personal reasons without intention of residing together. They maintained a friendly relationship until he died just one year later. After 11 years at Harvey’s, Patsy relocated to Sandpoint ID where she could be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She first worked at the Edgewater (now Trinity), then two part-time-temporary civil service positions with U.S. Forest Service and Farmer’s Home Loan concurrently, all while seeking a permanent Civil Service career. She also took a one year position with Dept of Navy in Honolulu HI. Eventually she landed a seasonal position with US INS, which back then was under the Dept of Justice at the US/Canadian border at Eastport, ID. Continuing to seek a permanent position she finally landed a vacancy and transferred to the US/Canadian border at Peace Arch crossing in Blaine WA. There she worked as Immigration Inspector to include an assignment abroad to Moscow Russia and Rome Italy. After 12 years of service she moved back to Sandpoint ID. During her retirement years, Patsy served 16 years as a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, beginning in Sandpoint ID with Flotilla 87, then transferring to Flotilla 19 of Hilo HI, ever studying and testing, she achieved the rank of Coxswain. This she enjoyed the most of all she had participated in. And she took her role of serving with Homeland Security very seriously. Other memberships and affiliations were with the Lockheed Ski Club, Tahoe Boat Club, Tahoe Yacht Club and Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce. Patsy is survived by her daughter Sandra Adams of Pahoa HI, Granddaughter Janell Adams of Pahoa HI, Grandson Jerrad Adams of Issaquah WA, Sister Marianne Nilsson of Sandpoint ID and Sister Nancy Guttry of Sandpoint ID. She is also survived by Nieces: Ria Hokanson of Malahat BC CAN, Cheryl Moxley of Horseshoe Bend ID, Charmaine Mollett of Post Falls ID, Karen Garrison of Sandpoint ID, Gwen Furtney of Sandpoint, ID, Denise Welch of Westmond ID, Cathy Jaenen of Edmonton Alberta CAN, Gail Trace of Edmonton Alberta CAN. Nephews: Glen Guttry of Elko NV, Brian Blaskey of Horseshoe Bend ID, Walton Blaskey of San Jose CA, Timothy Guttry of Elko NV, Michael Shopsky of Edmonton Alberta CAN and John Shopsky of Edmonton Alberta CAN. She is predeceased by her husband Frank Williams, parents Harry and Mary Shipka, brothers Alec and Eddie Shopsky, sister Katherine Blaskey, son-in-law Scott Jewsbury and grandson baby Wesley Adams.