Please Feel Free To Leave A Comment Or A Memory You Had With Patricia~
Patricia Frank February 1938 - March 2015 Patricia Hudson Frank, of Atascadero passed away on March 5, 2015. Pat was a compassionate, Gandhi- inspired activist, a loving partner, devoted mother and caregiver. She had a Christian soul but was strongly drawn to Buddhism. She loved the mountains of Tibet and could not get enough stories about the wild parts of the earth. Pat was born one of three children to Charles and Lorraine Hudson in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February, 1938. She and her family moved to San Luis Obispo in 1941. Pat's father, Charles, served in the Marine Corps during World War II, leaving Lorraine to raise three children by herself for the duration of the war. Pat did well in school, was a class leader and Parade Queen. She graduated from San Luis Obispo High School in 1956. While attending San Luis Junior College, she met Fred Frank, and after about a year they were married. Pat and Fred moved to a small studio in Atascadero where there was lots of love but not much money. Greg, their son, was born in 1958. Fred worked two jobs while preparing to attend Humboldt State University. In 1959, the family of three moved to Humboldt and lived in a trailer while Fred went to classes. Money was always short and Pat cleaned houses to help get by. She typed Fred's papers and kept the little family together. Fred worked as a CDF firefighter during the fire season so Pat was often alone for weeks at a time. Fred graduated from HSU in 1962, the same year their daughter Auraly was born. Fred took a Captain's position with CDF and Pat became a strong CDF wife. While living in Monterey, Pat followed her activist path. She served as a volunteer in a drug rehab center, and she joined the war protests at the Unitarian Universalist fellowship, at the same time caring for Greg and Auraly. Summer vacations were rare for most CDF wives since fire duty came first. The family moved to Santa Rosa for two years but, ironically, the house was threatened by a wildfire that Fred was working to contain. It was during the sixties that Pat also helped her husband's parents, Fred and Wanda Frank, to open Hidden Springs Christmas Tree Farm in Atascadero. Commuting to the tree farm to help with planting, irrigating, mowing and selling trees became a winter and spring ritual for 30 years. Pat loved the tree farm and was an effective and hard-working partner in a business that is now entering its sixth decade as a family-owned enterprise. The family lived in Davis and San Andreas for about 12 years, while mainly raising the kids, Pat also continued her education. She commuted over two hours a day for two years to obtain a degree in Natural Resource Management at Colombia Community College. During this time the family was able to enjoy several memorable backpack trips to the mountains. While living in San Andreas, Pat protested with Assemblyman John Garamendi to successfully shut down the Rancho Seco Nuclear power plant. When the Franks returned to San Luis Obispo, Pat redoubled her activist past. Her list of causes ran from Mothers for Peace to the Union of Concerned Scientists. She was a strong supporter of Friends of the Library, The Atascadero Land Preservation Society, The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo, and the Atascadero Native Tree Association. She loved books and music, liked to dance, and enjoyed the theater and movies. Following retirement as a CDF wife she caught up on the travel she'd missed and treasured the trips she took to exotic places. Most of all, Pat loved children. She worked as a schoolyard supervisor near the tree farm for many years. Her family was her first and last love. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Fred; her mother, Lorraine Hudson of Atascadero; daughter, Auraly ( Craig Dobbs) of Atascadero; brothers, Charles M. Hudson of Laredo, Texas and Walter Hudson of EL Paso, Texas. As well as grandchildren: Kyle and Nicole Frank and Andrew and Olivia Dobbs. Pat and Fred's son, Greg, preceded her in death in 2009. Plans are being made for a Memorial Service at the Hidden Springs Tree Farm in Atascadero on April 11th. Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to Hospice of San Luis County, 350.com, Friends of the Library or the environmental organization of your choice-
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