Abraham Lincoln said, “All I am and all I hope to be, I owe to my mother.” My siblings and I can say the same about our mom, Patricia Avalon Lechner. She embodied humility, compassion, kindness, and love and we will miss her dearly.

Patricia (Pat) Stone Lechner passed away at Surrey Place skilled nursing home on August 26, 2022. She was loved by many, especially her husband John (deceased), daughters Sharon (John) Clisham, Karen (Steve) Whitney, and Von (Mary) Lechner and her grandchildren Ciara (deceased) and Zachary.

Pat was born June 26, 1931 in Kansas City, MO at the Willows Maternity Sanitarium, a home for unwed mothers, and was adopted as an only child by Harold and Betty Stone of San Diego, CA. Tragically, her adopted mom died when Pat was only 11-years-old. Her dad left her to be raised with neighbors, friends, and remote relatives until she moved into her own apartment when she was 16-years-old. She worked a few jobs while earning her high school degree and then joined the Army as a Korean War nurse.

She attended boot camp at Fort Lee in VA and then served her duty at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, CO, leaving the Army after four years of service which she enjoyed. Later, she moved back to San Diego, CA where she met her husband John, the love of her life. California brought her much joy as she raised her family with fun-filled trips to the beaches and mountains. In 1971, John moved the family to Collingswood, NJ to pursue a job at the Philadelphia Inquirer. In NJ, Pat dreaded the cold winters but loved summers in Ocean City. When her girls were in school, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse and she was adored by her patients for the nurturing and loving care she provided.

After John died in 2000, she relied on her deep Christian faith to continue to embrace peace and positivity, her trademark qualities, while volunteering within the community, channeling her love of nature and her desire to preserve and protect our natural resources. In 2012, she followed her daughter Sharon to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Bradenton, FL, where she lived out the remainder of her life.

Throughout her 91 years, she saw beauty all around her. She never failed to notice and call out dappled sunshine, the hint of blue sky in a sea of clouds, the sea birds’ perches, the veined nuances of a seashell, the unique bend of an old sycamore tree, the rippled edges of a barely turning autumn leaf, or the way the ocean caught the sun like diamonds dancing on the waves. She had the soul of an artist, and she tapped her impressive artistic talent to share the moments that touched her most. And her soul touched our lives in the most beautiful ways, ones we will never forget. 

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