Patricia Jane Skinner Russell

beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, died July 7th in her Bainbridge Island home shortly after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was 97.Pat was born January 18, 1912 in the Ballard area of Seattle. Two years later her family moved to Bainbridge Island, where in 1929 she graduated from Bainbridge High School as Salutorian. She went on to study at the University of Washington, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Masters Degree in Health and Physical Education.Pat's teaching career began in Tenino where, among other subjects, she guided her young charges in the nuances of cooking on a wood stove. In 1941 she took a position at Bremerton High School, but her life was about to change in profound ways: WWII had begun, and in 1943 she enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Pat was sent immediately to Mt. Holyoke, Massachusetts to begin training as an officer. After brief postings in New River, Washington DC, and Camp Lejeune, 1st Lieutenant Pat Skinner returned to Bremerton's Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before being sent to Honolulu. In Hawaii she served under "Howling Mad" Smith and Merritt "Red" Edson, assisting in the highly secret preparations for the invasions of Okinowa and Japan. During this time Pat went on what would prove to be a momentous blind date with Rochester "George" Russell, a quiet Marine Corps lieutenant who was recovering from wounds received on Iwo Jima. He didn't drink - unusual for the times. Pat was intrigued, and George was smitten: here was a strong-willed woman with access to a Jeep! But the war separated them when George was posted to Tientsin, China for a year. Pat was discharged in 1946, and returned to teaching in Bremerton. Always an adventurer, she took a summer road trip to the East Coast with a friend and looked up that dashing Marine she'd dated in Hawaii. Months later, on December 28, 1946, she and George were married. They returned to Pat's beloved Bainbridge Island in 1948, where they raised three sons. She resumed her teaching and taught for more than 20 years at Bainbridge High School. One of her former students once described her as a force of nature. During the summer she would take her growing family to Oregon State University, where she received her Masters of Science in Marine Biology. One of Pat's many passions was growing rhododendrons. She tended to her spectacular "field" of several thousand rhodies year-round. Her extensive horticultural knowledge was appreciated by both the Rhododendron Species Foundation of Federal Way and the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge, where she volunteered for many years. Pat shared her love of natural beauty with her husband and sons, hiking the Olympic Mountains and the Washington Coast with Boy Scout Troop 573. She took her family farther afield. One day she said "Let's go camping at Stevens Pass" to her young boys -- 24 hours later they arrived in Yellowstone National Park. She would make these spur-of-the-moment decisions, then suddenly, everyone would be off on a grand adventure! Over time, Pat's curiosity and passion for the outdoors took her to Machu Picchu in Peru, the jungles of Costa Rica, the Andes of Ecuador and the coastal ranges of New Zealand. In 1997, she was honored to be included in the inauguration ceremony of the Women in Military Service Memorial in Washington DC. This year, at her 97th birthday party, Pat was met at the door by a young woman Marine in uniform, greeting her with a "Semper Fi". More than 100 friends and family watched with love and respect as she made her entrance flanked by a six-member Marine honor guard. Pat had a ready smile for everyone, and a caring and giving heart. She is remembered for her inspiring sense of adventure, boundless energy and great joy in living. Pat was preceded in death by her husband George, her brother Dick and recently by her sister, Andrea Skinner. She is survived by her sons Robert Russell and wife Jill of Bainbridge Island, Matt Russell and wife Kate of Miles City, Montana, and David Russell and wife Lisa of Seattle. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Janna and Jannell Russell of Bainbridge and Naomi Hubert of Bainbridge, and nieces Gretchen LaGrange of New York, Mia Newkirk of Hawaii and Norman Newkirk of Seattle.Patricia will receive a military burial at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 11:30 AM. A celebration of her life will be at Pat's home on Bainbridge, August 8th at 4:00 pm.Memorial contributions may be made to the Bainbridge Island Public Library, 1270 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.