1934 - 2009
Virginia "Gynnie" Patrick
Virginia "Gynnie" Patrick, of Berthoud, passed away May 5, 2009. She was 74.
Gynnie was born Oct. 5, 1934, to Santos and Marie Antonia (Moreno) Avila, in Corona, Calif. She was the youngest of seven brothers and sisters.
On Jan. 12, 1956, she married Johnny Ray Patrick in Raton, N.M.
Together, they ran Patrick's Auction Service in Berthoud, held many private auctions and ran the old Trailways Motel in Longmont.
Gynnie was able to use her incredible sense of style and fashion at Smart Shop, where she helped ladies from all across the country put together many beautiful clothing collections for their special occasions, weddings, vacations and cruises.
She then worked as a hostess at Leo's, where customers often would come just to see what she was wearing that day. She always put every detail imaginable into her outfits, from shoes, necklaces and earrings to eyeglasses and nail polish. She started using fancy and wild colors before anyone thought of the idea. She was even known to buy royal blue and black nail polish from the dog groomer so she would have the perfect color to match. She often would paint polka dots and stripes on her nails to complement her blouse or jacket.
And for the past 11 years, Gynnie was a team member for Target. She again was known for her fun shoes and earrings. She often had guests who would wait in her line just to see what she had put together that day. She also told stories that she and her co-workers would try to see who could come up with the cutest socks, as well.
Gynnie felt her biggest accomplishment in life was raising her three children. She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They all gave her many years of joy. She was devoted to her family and made every occasion the happiest of days. She was an avid reader and loved having her deck full of flowers every summer.
Gynnie is survived by her husband, Johnny, of Berthoud; sister Eleanor (Noni) Main, of Porterville, Calif.; daughter Bonita (Boni) Bichler and her husband, Mike Lagana, of Longmont, and daughter Pamela Patrick, of Mead; son Richard (Rick) Patrick and his wife, Cathleen (Cathy) Patrick, of Steamboat Springs; granddaughters Jamasa (Jamie) Wykoff and Jennifer Patrick; grandsons Erik (Dana) Bichler, of Laramie, Wyo., Michael (Aubrey) Bichler, Patrick (Stephanie) Kage, of St. Mary, Fla., and Clayton Patrick, of Steamboat Springs; great-grandchildren Shane and Alyssa, of Longmont, Tyler, and Brayden, of Longmont; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Gynnie loved family so much that she considered many others as her own. She was mother to Leslie (Pat) Bintliff, of Roseburg, Ore.; granddaughter Jesika (Tim) Bintliff-Barron; great-grandsons KeeAiren and Tygue; Bridgette Soutiea, husband Scott Theobald, and their children; Taylor (Lindsey) Soutiea; great-granddaughter Rylee; Lance Cpl. Seth Soutiea-Burch; Lia Soutiea; Hayden Theobald; grandmother to Teresa (Darin) Boersma; great-granddaughters Breanna and Shealyn; and many others that she touched throughout her life.
A memorial service to celebrate the unique life of Gynnie will be held at 2 p.m. May 13 at Life Bridge Christian Church, 10345 Ute Highway in Longmont. A reception will follow. Anyone interested in sharing a story or memory of Gynnie will be welcomed, or bring your written memory to add to her memory box.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that a donation be made to the Virginia Patrick Memorial Fund at Bank of the West in Longmont, or to St. Jude's Children's Research.
Yampa Valley Funeral Home in Steamboat Springs is handling the arrangements.
