Patricia “Pat” Neilan
February 6, 1930 - May 1, 2022
Pat was born February 6, 1930 to Marion “Bob” White and Martha L. Ingersoll in Greely Colorado. When Pat was ten months old her mother passed away due to complications from an appendectomy. Pat and her older sister Phyllis moved in with their Aunt and Uncle Pauline and Loys Green to be cared for until she was five years old.
In October 1935, Pat and her sister, along with their dad, moved to Phoenix Arizona where he took a job at the Ford garage. While in Phoenix, Bob met Grace McCoy and they were married in 1936. Together, they had three daughters: Jackie (1938), Barbara (1940), and Marilyn (1942). However, life would take an unfortunate turn as their mother Grace would pass away in 1944 from breast cancer. At age 14, Pat and her sister Phyllis, 16, were responsible for the three girls. Fortunately, Aunt Pauline and Uncle Loys stepped in to assist with now five girls. By 1946, the family had moved to Southern California where their dad found employment. It was in this year that he met Marion Peterson, whose husband had been killed in World War II. Marion was a single mom with a young son, Mike. Bob and Marion were married in 1947 and moved the family to Bishop California. Pat being in her senior year, graduated from Bishop High School. In 1949, her dad and Marion had a son, Robert “Bobby”, and now the blended family was complete.
After graduation, with her sister Phyllis, now married, Pat moved back to Lynwood California where she took a job at the bank. It was there she would meet Gene W. Neilan, and they were married February 10, 1951; from here they moved to Downey California where they had two sons.
Pat was an active homemaker being involved in PTA, Downey Women’s Club, North Downey Little League, Team Mother, and Room Mother, not only for her two sons, but later for her three grandchildren as well. In her employment career, she worked at Security Pacific National Bank, bookkeeper at Don’s Market in Downey, and in the credit department at RCA Inc. as an assistant credit manager. Pat also helped her husband start Downey Trucking by doing the bookkeeping.
Pat was a remarkable lady, mother, and grandmother. She went to her heavenly home at the age of 92 on Sunday May 1, 2022. She loved Jesus, prayed faithfully for her family, and was faithful with her daily devotions and bible reading; she reminded all of us to say our nightly prayers even into our adulthood.
Pat is survived by her two sons: Gary and Greg of California, two grandsons: Grant (Hannah) and Garrett (Liz) of California, one granddaughter Brandy (DJ) of Nevada, and two great-grandchildren Penelope “Penny” and Ezekiel “Zeek” of Nevada. In addition, she is also survived by her siblings Jackie Neilan of Nevada, Barbara (Bob) Kopple of California, and Robert “Bobby” (Dana) White of Nevada. Since growing up with her Aunt and Uncle, Pat had a special bond with her cousins Ed and Shay Green of Colorado. Pat will also be missed by her many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends, as well as those who adopted her as “Grandma Pat”.
Pat was preceded in passing by her husband Gene W. (1991) after 40 years of marriage; her son Scott W. (1958), daughter-in-law Betty, granddaughter Elizabeth, two sisters Phyllis Clark and Marilyn Smith, her brother Mike Parker, her parents Bob and Martha, her two stepmothers Grace and Marion, and her Aunt Pauline and Uncle Loys Green.
Our sincere appreciation to Delightful Aging Senior Care of Downey and PIH Downey Hospice, for their kind and compassionate care of our mother and grandmother. We also want to say a special thank-you to Mr. Rene Mata, family service counselor (Rose Hills Mortuary) for his kind and empathetic assistance. (At our mother’s request, no service will be held, and interment will be private).