Patricia Hutchin
courtesy photo
Patricia Hutchin
POLSON — Patricia Joanne Cook Hutchin died peacefully at her home in Polson, with her husband by her side, on July 12, 2017, at the age of 74. Pat was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in June of this year and had since that time quickly deteriorated from this horrible disease.
Pat was born Oct. 19, 1942, to Arthur R. and Gertrude J. Overlade in the Cottonwood Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Pat was the first of five girls. On Aug. 7, 1960, Pat married her childhood sweetheart, Kenneth Levon Rowley, in Salt Lake City. In 1962 Pat and her husband moved to Polson, after Ken’s military service in Washington State, and later moved into Ken’s parents’ home on Finley Point. They had four children together, Wendy Marie Rowley (Alt), Brent Scott Rowley, Steven Levon Rowley and David Arthur Rowley.
For the last 27 years, Pat has been with the love of her life, Mike Hutchin and they have homes in Polson and Saltese, Montana, and Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada.
Patricia held numerous prestigious jobs, most notably being the Lake County Treasurer for 22 years. Pat worked for Lake County 34 years. This included working for Will Tiddy in the Assessors Department, ledger entry for the Lake County Plat Department, (including drafting for Harry Medland, a Lake County surveyor), and working in the Lake County Treasurer Tax and Motor Vehicle Division. During her tenure as Treasurer, Governor Marc Racicot appointed Pat to the Local Government Study Commission, representing Montana county treasurers. She also served as president and secretary of the Montana County Treasurers Association.
After retiring from Lake County in 2006, Pat took on a job working for Black Mountain Software’s support division where she provided technical assistance for numerous state agencies and county treasurer departments. Pat was excellent in her vocational fields and extremely professional and personable with her employees and everyone she came in contact with. Pat was admired and respected by her peers and was truly an inspiration to many.
Pat had many talents including her interactions with people and expertise in knitting and crocheting. Many people received her wonderful work and acts of kindness. Pat was very generous to her family and friends, always thinking of their welfare and never her own. Pat had a passion for the outdoors, traveling to remote places with her family in side-by-sides and such. She enjoyed playing cards with her special friends, Sharon Sampson, Gail Herried and Barb Proud.
Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur R. and Gertrude Overlade and her mother and father-in-law Wray and Helen Hutchin and stepson K.C. Hutchin.
Survivors include her four sisters, Judith Anne Molitor, Norma Lynne Overlade, Linda Louise Lockwood and Laurie Ellenwood; her four children, Wendy Marie Alt, Brent Scott Rowley (Beth), Steven Levon Rowley (Heather), and David Arthur Rowley (Cher); grandchildren, Justin Bykari, Brynn Rowley, Bridger Rowley, Albert Rowley, and Kenny and Martina Rowley; and two great-grandchildren, Jace and Aubrey Bykari.
Patricia will be sorely missed by those whose lives she touched.
Patricia will be cremated, and upon her request, there will be no service following. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at: www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson.
