Obituary of Patricia Jean Vuylsteke

Meridian, Idaho – On Wednesday, April 27^th, 2022, Patricia (Pat) Vuylsteke, loving wife and mother of three, passed away of natural causes at age 89.

Pat was born to Joseph and Anne Rigert on August 21, 1932, at home, on Cooper Mountain, near Aloha, Oregon. She was raised on a farm with twelve siblings in Aloha. She moved to Anchorage, Alaska at age 17 to work and live with her Aunt Tuc – and had a grand adventure there. She married Allen (Al) Vuylsteke on October 11, 1958, and moved to Beaverton, Oregon. Pat and Al could really cut a rug, they loved ballroom dancing. They had three children, Laura, Carla and Michael (Mike). Life took them to Los Angeles, California and then Boise, Idaho. She loved her life as a homemaker, and continued to enjoy exploring, wherever she lived. Pat enjoyed taking her kids on ‘day trips’ in LA, to the beach, fishing on rivers and reservoirs, and exploring back roads. Every summer, Pat and Al would pack up the kids and go on a summer camping trip. She and Al took many trips to Alaska to visit their children and grandchildren there – enjoying fishing trips to catch the ‘big’ one!

Pat loved all things outdoors - she created lovely bouquets from her flower garden and grew beautiful raspberries, blackberries and vegetables. She loved to camp and go on picnics with family and friends. She and Al enjoyed many camping/fishing trips to the beautiful mountains of Idaho. She loved huckleberry picking, even into her 80’s, with kids and grandkids. She loved to cook big holiday meals for family. She was a fabulous baker and showed her love to her kids and grandkids with yummy baked goods. She also loved playing bridge and pinochle.

Later in life she took up watercolor painting and created beautiful landscapes. Pat also enjoyed gambling at Jackpot and the Oregon Coast with her friends, relatives and her son Mike. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles and movies.

She took a wonderful trip to Turkey with her sister Donna and husband Jim when she was 80 – she still had a sense of adventure.

Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Allen, mother, Anne Rigert, and father, Joseph Rigert, and siblings, Rita, Jane and Marta. She is survived by her daughter Laura and son-in-law Kevin, grandchildren, Ryan and Conor, daughter Carla and grandchildren, Rachel, Shannon and Ruby, son Michael (Mike) and grandchildren Alexis and Madison, in addition to six great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life is being planned for friends and family on May 21, 2022, in Boise, Idaho.