Patricia Ruth (McGinnis) Lasswell

Patricia Ruth Lasswell

May 27, 1931 - November 2, 2020

Out of the fight and forever in our hearts, our beloved mother and grandmother entered into rest Nov 2nd, 2020.

Patricia Ruth Lasswell was born 27 May 1931 in Nebraska. She completed her educational years in San Diego, California.

She was extremely active in supporting social programs to include being a 4-H leader, working in children’s ministries and had a very strong desire to help those in need specifically the homeless and those who did not have enough food. To best sum her up, she loved people and loved helping people.

For the last 30 years she lived with her daughter’s family and was fully integrated into the family as one family unit. In the late 1980’s she would take her grandson on various weekends to pick up snack food from the local minute mart in order to come back home in time to eat and watch Star Trek the Next Generation.

Prior to moving in with her daughter’s family, she would participate and enjoy spending time on the weekends and holidays, taking trips, going to the Oregon coast and participated in the momentous event of helping build what is thought to be the last snowman at the base of Mt St Helens before it erupted in May 1980.

She was very patriotic and had a very strong affinity for the men and women of the US military.

Throughout her life she had several jobs culminating with working with an international corporation in Vancouver, Washington for nearly 20 years which allowed for her to develop contacts and friendships with international partners. During her tenure, she loved learning foreign languages, cultures and customs.

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s she participated with an organization to smuggle bibles into China. She personally visited China a total of five times, smuggling bibles in her luggage into the country and developed a strong affection for the people of China in their plight under Communism.

Her faith in HaShem was her foundation and her love of the Bible was what enabled her to endure enormous trials and crushing times of tribulation. When she discovered her Jewish lineage, over twenty years ago, she immediately and excitedly adopted learning the Torah, enjoying Shabbat every Friday evening, celebrating the Feasts of HaShem and participated in daily Torah study.

She was a woman of great courage, valor, kindness and compassion. She taught and exemplified the attribute of carrying on and pressing through, especially in difficult times, not to give up, determine to move forward no matter how tough times get and always remain loyal to HaShem and to each other, putting others first before yourself.

Her favorite Psalm was Psalm 23 and her favorite verse from the Bible was Song of Solomon 6:3 which says "I alone am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine, He Who grazes His sheep in rose like pastures."

She loved animals as pets which included her beloved Ruthie, a chihuahua. She would always share portions of her meals every day, which included parts of a peanut butter sandwich and parts of her hard-boiled egg with Ruthie but also Hannah, the dark-haired lab who belongs to her daughter’s family.

She enjoyed arts and crafts, gardening and watching the wildlife in the back yard. She was also very interested in current events, the news, politics and would love to engage in long conversations of that day’s news events.

She is survived by her four daughters and their families as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren:

Sandi, Rob and Pattie

Kathryn, Al, Justin, Reyna and Robbie

Barbara, Guy and Merry

Pat, Mike, Megan and Alex

She taught each of us so much and she will be greatly missed, but also will cherish the memories we were privileged to make with her. We all have faith that one day HaShem will gather His Own unto Himself at the appointed time and at that time we will all be reunited with our beloved mother and grandmother forever and ever. May it be so very soon in our days!

Memorial services are pending.

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