June 24, 1950 - July 25, 2022

Patti (Jurgensen) Miles passed away peacefully at home in Los Alamitos, CA on July 25, 2022, with her husband Brad at her side.

Patti was born to Leonard and Esther Jurgensen in Green Bay, WI on June 24, 1950. Her family moved to Appleton, WI where she spent her childhood and school years. Patti graduated from Beloit College in 1972. It was there that she met her husband Brad Miles, and they were married on August 12th of that year.

After their wedding, Patti and Brad moved to Southern California, where Patti began her life-long career as an elementary school teacher. She taught for 39 years at Downey Unified School District, until she retired in 2010. Patti was so proud to have been a teacher to over a thousand children, helping them to read and learn about the world, and sharing with them her passion for whales. Patti often remarked how she became a better, more empathetic teacher after the births of her own children, Joshua and Brittany, as they helped her to know the great honor it was to be entrusted by parents to teach their own children.

Patti was a bright light of love and generosity to her family and friends. She loved demonstrating her care and affection for them through her wonderful talents of cooking and entertaining in her home, choosing the perfect gift for that special person, sharing her beautiful words in cards and letters, reading books to the children in her life, and so much more.

Her family was her most important treasure. Brad, Josh and Brittany filled the biggest part of her heart. Her heart made room for a new son when Brittany married Nick Bender, and a new daughter when Josh married Colleen Corcoran-then filled to overflowing with the birth of their children, her grandchildren, Jane Marie in 2018 and Nolan Corcoran in 2021.

In 2014 Patti was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. However, neither her cancer nor her treatments stopped her from living her best life for these past eight years, enjoying holidays, special occasions, and vacations with family and friends. She very often would remark on what a wonderful life she had, and wanted people to know of that, and the importance of each and every one in her life.

Patti was predeceased by her beloved parents, Lenny Jurgensen in 1979 and Esther Jurgensen in 2022, her eldest brother Dwayne Jurgensen in 1993, and her brother-in-law Jon Jansen in 2017. She is survived by her loving husband Brad; her beloved children Josh (Colleen) and Brittany (Nick); her two beautiful grandchildren Jane and Nolan Miles; her sister Kay Jansen, her two brothers Dennis Jurgensen (Ginny) and Nick Jurgensen; and her life-long best friend and “sister” Jan Dutcher. Patti was loved by so many and will be deeply missed by her family and those that knew her.

A Celebration of Patti’s Wonderful Life is planned on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at the Old Ranch Country Club located at 3901 Lampson Avenue, Seal Beach, CA 90740 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. For those unable to attend in person, a zoom link will be available. Please contact Brad’s office at (562) 498-3395 for details.