Patricia Ann Drilling

Our kind and selfless mother and grandmother, Pat Drilling, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 29, 2020. She was born Patricia Ann Boyle on September 10, 1922 at home in Lake Burien, Washington to George and Florence (Mingo) Boyle. Pat grew up on a small family farm with a large extended family. She attended Holy Family Catholic School where she skipped a grade, and graduated from Highline High School in 1939 as valedictorian. Pat excelled in academics, student government and theatre productions. Graduating high school at 16, she enrolled at the University of Washington to study art, with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Due to family circumstances and later, wartime, she was unable to complete her education and went to work to support her family. She worked for the Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle, first in secretarial work, but with recognition of her drawing talent, she worked in draftsmanship. Top secret plans from the Manhattan Project crossed her desk.
On a fateful Saturday evening in September of 1944, Pat met a young Navy dentist, Tom Drilling, at her apartment door. Tom was picking up Pat’s roommate on a blind date. While the roommate was getting ready, Tom and Pat chatted and made a date of their own: to attend Mass the following Sunday morning. This began a whirlwind wartime romance, and they were married on December 16, 1944. After the war, they relocated to Tom’s hometown of Tulare, California. Soon after, Kathleen Ann was born in 1946, and two years later, Christine Claire. Life was good in the fifties in Tulare, except for a brief stint in Barstow when Tom was recalled to active duty in the Korean War. After returning to Tulare, Pat was very active in church and school organizations such as St. Aloysius Altar Society, president of St. Aloysius Parents’ Club, and as a perpetual room mom. Pat was an idea person and many of the annual events of the school and parish were her brainchild: the St. Aloysius School Memorial Book as one example. Pat took up art again with the Tulare Palette Club, won awards at the county fair and even sold many of her oil and watercolor paintings. She also found time to design sets for the Town and Country Club events and be a supportive spouse to Tom when he was mayor of Tulare. Pat was also a long-time member of the Tulare Bridge Club.
With two busy teenagers, Pat found her life changed with the birth of a third daughter, Patricia Jeanne, in 1964. Pat called Patty her “bonus baby” but what a surprise the initial news must have been! This second chance at parenthood started a whole new round at St. Aloysius School, but Pat never slowed down or left the work to the younger parents. When Patty was in junior high, Pat launched a second career as a registered dental assistant, working for Tom. She also did all of his books impeccably, as well as the household finances and housework, even fixing his lunch every day.
After Tom retired, Pat volunteered again at St. Aloysius School; this time as a bookkeeper in the school office. She thoroughly enjoyed her time with good friends, Karen Morrelli and Kathy O’Donohoe, being in the beehive activity of a school. In addition, Pat served as trustee of the Tulare Hospital Foundation, member of the Tulare Historical Museum, Tulare-Kings County Dental Auxiliary, and Tulare Noon Rotary Club Auxiliary. Pat donated blood as often as she could, many times inflating her weight to meet the weight requirement.
With the arrival of two grandchildren, she was busy at home once again. Drew and Caitlin were the light of Tom and Pat’s life, and they devoted the bulk of their time and energy to their care and upbringing.
Among extended family, Pat was known for being a most hospitable hostess and a fantastic cook who needed no recipes to whip up a delicious meal with very few ingredients. Her scrumptious pies and Thanksgiving meals for a huge family are legendary, as were summertime pool parties. Pat never missed an opportunity to send a birthday card to all in her family and she kept a very accurate calendar, including ages, to make sure of that. Pat possessed a keen sense of humor and was always ready for any new adventure or project, or to help those in need with great empathy.
Sadly for Pat, her greatest personal fear was realized. She seemed to sense she would develop dementia as her mother did and she fought hard against it by doing daily crossword puzzles and word jumbles. Pat continued to fight valiantly throughout this terrible disease process. She never lost her physical strength or her ability to walk and was not bedridden, as her mother had been. She never lost her sense of humor, nor her grace to say thank you to her caregivers. We especially wish to thank Armeda Espinoza, Samantha Gillon, Shelly Soriano, Lupe Suarez and many more at Quail Park Memory Care, and Mona Tonga in Pat’s last days. Special thanks to Melinda Aguilar and her mother Gloria at Glory Days Memory Care and Dr. Anil Patel for their compassionate care.
Pat is predeceased by her devoted husband of 72 years, Tom, who she said she married because “he was a lot of fun”; her daughter, Chris and son-in-law, Eli Glogow. In addition, her parents; her sisters, Fran (Bob), Jeanne (Bill), and infant brother, George Jr.; sisters-in-law, Jeanne Beck and Joyce Drilling; brothers-in-law, Joe Drilling, Robert (Bud) Drilling and Dick Drilling.
She is survived by her sister, Janet Boyle; daughters, Sr. Kathleen Drilling, SSND and Dr. Patricia Drilling Phelps; son-in-law, David Phelps and grandchildren, Drew Phelps and Caitlin Phelps; sister-in-law, Joan Drilling and brother-in-law, Harold Beck; and a multitude of nieces and nephews who loved their Aunt Pat dearly.
Services will be held at such time when a church service at St. Aloysius is possible and family and friends can meet and give each other a hug. These are things Pat held dear and we will honor her wishes. In the meantime, until we meet again, remembrances can be made in Pat’s name to the St. Aloysius School Memorial Fund, 627 N Beatrice Dr., Tulare, CA 93274.
Well done, good and faithful servant!