July 15, 1927 – Jan. 24, 2012
Patricia Alice Wilcox, 84, of Sweet Home died Jan. 24, 2012.
She was born July 15, 1927 in Shanghai, China to George and Maria (Ferras) Tyler.
When the Japanese invaded China, she and her family were interned at Longhwa Internment Camp in Shanghai from 1942 – 1945. Despite the lack of many of the essentials of civilized life, the internees rose to meet the challenge of survival. They organized kitchens and hospitals, started libraries, engaged in subtle forms of resistence, educated their children and kept their strength until the end of the war. A fellow prisoner, Peggy Abkhazi, wrote a book about their experience called “A Curious Cage.”
Following World War II, she was working at a local post office when she met her husband Walter F. Wilcox, who had retired from the U.S. Navy while in Shanghai. They were married in 1947 and came to America by boat, arriving in San Francisco, Calif. Their journey brought them to Sweet Home.
Mrs. Wilcox lived in Sweet Home, Lebanon and various other towns in Oregon and in Eureka, Calif. They returned to Sweet Home in 1963 so Walter could begin work on Foster Dam.
Mrs. Wilcox was a member of the Sweet Home Elkettes for many years, serving as president and vice president. She was also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary-VFW. She and Walter assisted with many of the Sportsman’s Holiday events. She was also a dance instructor for the Arthur Murray Dance Studio.
Mrs. Wilcox enjoyed her flower garden, crafting and crocheting beautiful items for her grandchildren. She also enjoyed her expert crossword puzzles and huge jigsaw puzzles. As an avid reader, she taught herself French and learned to play the organ on her own. She made wonderful Chinese dinners and loved to go to rummage sales, looking for little treasures.
She is survived by a daughter, Edith of Sweet Home; sons Mike, Jim and Chris of Sweet Home, and Bill of Waterloo; brother Larry and his wife Toni Tyler of Glasgow, Scotland; sister-in-law Jean Wilcox of Albany; numerous nieces and nephews; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; and her caretaker, Debbie Thompson.
Mrs. Wilcox was preceded in death by her husband Walter; her parents; sister Diana; brother Reggie and great-granddaughter Caitlyn Easling.
Funeral services were held Jan. 31 at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel, which is handling the arrangements.