Patricia Varila

Ilwaco resident Patricia "Patsy" Varila, 67, died in Longview, Washington on December 17, 2011. Born March 10, 1944 in Portland, Oregon, she was the daughter of Patrick and Frances (Baker) O'Connell. Patsy grew up in Portland where she attended St. Mary's Academy Catholic School in downtown Portland and was a graduate of Cleveland High School. Patsy's connections to the Peninsula go back to her childhood when she began spending summers in Ilwaco with her uncle and aunt, Jim and Helen "Smokey" O'Connell who owned and operated Red's Restaurant, an Ilwaco landmark. In 1965 Patsy moved to Ilwaco where she worked for Red's. Patsy married Matt Varila on November 19, 1965. The couple resided in Naselle until 1970 when they moved to Ilwaco. Patsy was a wife, homemaker, and mother to her daughter Leah. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Seaview and of the ESA. Patsy enjoyed crossword puzzles, spending time with her friends and family, and loved animals, especially her Lab retriever "Dummy" though she had a special fondness for St. Bernards. Patsy is survived by her former husband with whom she maintained a special bond, Matt Varila of Redmond, OR; mother Frances O'Connell of Condon, OR; daughter and son-in-law Leah Frances and Trace Hansen of Bend, OR; grandchildren Clarire and Samuel Hansen; niece Susan Griffin; and several other members of her extended family. She was preceded in death by her father, brothers Cecil "Bud" Clark, Mark Clark and Robert Clark who was a casualty of the Second World War in the Pacific Theatre. Graveside service will be held at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Portland on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 1:00 PM. Memorials may be made to the South Pacific County Animal Shelter in care of Penttila's Chapel, PO Box 417, Long Beach, WA 98631. Her guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.