Patty is a lover of all things transportation! Besides her obvious love of trains, Patty is a huge fan of hot air balloons. Since 1997, she has volunteered for several balloon festivals, helping to launch balloons and take them down. She is happy to ride in the balloon whenever necessary or participate as a member of the chase crew. Patty’s train fascination began at age 10 when her mom took her on a shopping expedition via train to San Francisco. More recently, she heard the SP4449 in the early morning hours from her bedroom in Beaverton. She hopped up, finally found the locomotive in Hillsboro’s Shute Park, and chased it through town and all the way up the gorge. As a member of a steam train club, Patty got to know Mark Reynolds. When she received an email about ORHC’s 10th anniversary, Patty immediately joined the volunteer team.

The trains brought Patty here and her fellow volunteers bring her back. She loves to hear their stories and learn more about everyone’s history. She considers them calm and gentle souls and loves how appreciative everyone is when help is offered. She, sometimes with her 7-year-old grandson, Paxton, are often seen here when the request goes out for help—be it cleaning, organizing or assisting on excursion days. Car hosting is Patty’s favorite job.

Patty has been a successful residential realtor for the past 27 years, currently with Premier Property Group, LLC. She ran her own dessert business, The Gourmet Dessert Company, from 2004 until 2010. Cheesecakes are her specialty. Those of you who attended the most recent Coffee Klatch were treated to her delicious pumpkin cheesecake! She taught culinary and baking courses at the community college in Hood River for many years. It goes without saying one of her favorite pastimes is baking, with general cooking a close second.

Roller coasters also have Patty’s heart. A member of a roller coaster club, she spends a week each year visiting theme parks with roller coasters. She recently traveled to Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia, and in 2024 will visit parks in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and other northern California towns. Can you say “thrill seeker”?

Patty would love to ride the Orient Express. Another goal is to travel the Mediterranean, with a stop in Venice. Also on Patty’s bucket list is a trip to Argentina to enjoy the food and the culture.

Patty has an adult daughter, Monica, mother of her train-loving grandson Paxton. She loves salmon and Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream. Other favorites include big band music and Gone With the Wind. If you are fortunate to be scheduled to work with Patty, you will discover a bubbly, energetic and lovely volunteer.