Patricia Anne (Thomas) Hendrickson

Patricia Anne (Thomas) Hendrickson, loving wife and mother of two children, passed away peacefully at her home in Lake of the Pines, CA on May 28, 2022, with her son at her side, exactly as she hoped it would be when the time came.

Born in Traer, Iowa, on July 1, 1931, the eldest child of Dean and Dorothy Thomas, Judge B. Frank [Jr] and Grace Porterfield Thomas, and great-granddaughter of Traer pioneers Benjamin F. and Sarah Stoakes Thomas, she was one month shy of 91 years old. It was a long and rich life, one in which she learned to fly before she learned to drive.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Mitch and Sarah Hendrickson, of Nevada City, grandsons Caspar and Duncan, and her brother Norman, of Sierra Vista, Arizona.

She was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Roger Hendrickson, and her son Vik Thomas Hendrickson.

She attended Lindenwood College and then Iowa State University, where she graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board and Delta Zeta. She met her beloved Roger when both were working on the Milwaukee Clipper on Lake Michigan, and they married in 1954. Their lives took them to San Francisco, where she worked at Fibreboard Paper, then to Bad Kreutznach, Germany, where she worked for the Red Cross. The next 20 magical years were spent in Yosemite National Park living a rich outdoor lifestyle and raising her two boys. In 1978, the family moved to Lake of the Pines near Auburn, California, where she lived for the remainder of her life, occupied mostly with marriage and motherhood, philanthropy and volunteering, as well as managing Roger’s medical office.

She was heavily involved in skiing, serving as President and board member of the Far West Ski Association and Chairperson of the Alpine Officials Program. She served as Nordic Commissioner of the International Special Olympic Winter Games, as well as helping to organize the California Police Winter Olympics and other events. She served on the board of the Auburn Ski Club for decades and was awarded the Wendell Robie Prize as well as an honorary lifetime membership for her efforts. She was a P.E.O. member since 1951 and was President of Auburn’s Chapter RB four times over 20 years, and stayed active in P.E.O. right up to the end. From serving on the board of the Nevada County Land Trust to the Sierra Nevada Canoe and Kayak Club to production with the Foothill Theatre Company, she was never idle.

As was her desire, no services are planned. Instead, her wish was that old (and new) friends would share a loving toast when they come together and think of her; she would rather be celebrated than mourned. Memorial donations can be made to your favorite local charity or to P.E.O.