- Date Of Death: November 2, 2021
- State: Utah
Patrecia Ann (Watts) Hotchkiss
September 25, 1934 – October 31, 2021
Patrecia (Patt) Hotchkiss of Ogden, Utah, passed away in peace on October 31, 2021, at the age of 87. In her time on this earth, Patt touched many lives and is remembered as a very kind and loving person. She will be missed.
Patt was born on September 25, 1934 in Provo, Utah, the third child of Orvil and Hazel (Anderson) Watts. She attended Brigham Young University, where she was president of her sorority.
Always up for adventure, she worked at Yellowstone Park in the summers, until she graduated from BYU in 1956 with a degree in Elementary Education. Patt remained a huge BYU Cougars fan and joked that she “bled blue.” She later earned her Master’s degree in Education and Drug and Alcohol Abuse from Weber State University so she could teach teachers how to recognize and respond to drug and alcohol concerns with students.
Patt taught in Southern California and Utah, focusing on kindergarten through sixth grade. She loved music and directed the school choir at North Ogden Elementary. She also spent many years as a visiting teacher for the LDS Relief Society. She said being a teacher was the most fulfilling career she could imagine, although she was certain she would also be a pretty good detective with her knack for guessing “whodunit” in her favorite true crime stories.
Patt’s heart and joy were her three children, Jonathan, Matt, and Heather. When they were little, Patt made all their costumes for Halloween, Pioneer Days, parades, and school functions. There was nothing she couldn’t sew, although her children want to add that she made them wear way too many clown costumes. As her children grew up, Patt offered consistent support in their pursuits, grown-up life advice, and love.
In retirement, Patt devoted much energy to genealogy, volunteering at the LDS Family History Center, and attending her grandchildren’s sporting events.
Patt’s testimony was strong; she was prepared and looking forward to the next chapter of her story. Loved ones waiting for Patt in heaven, in addition to her parents, are her son, Jonathan Hotchkiss, brother and sister-in-law Jack & Barbara Watts, sister & brother-in-law Yvonne & Mark Nilsen, and brother-in-law Dr. Jim Koch.
Loved ones who will miss Patt until they meet again are son Matthew Hotchkiss, daughter Heather Hotchkiss (Alisa Campbell), sister Sharon Koch, her grandchildren Heidi (James) Peterson, Travis (Olivia) Hotchkiss, Jake Hotchkiss, Casey (Julie) Hotchkiss, and her great-grandchildren.
