- Date Of Birth: February 7, 1950
- Date Of Death: January 14, 2023
- State: Montana
Patricia Ann Lee passed away from complications of Multiple Sclerosis on January 14, 2023 at the Crest Nursing Home in Butte, MT. Born February 7, 1950 to William A. “Ty” Lee, a gentle Irish smelterman, and Ann Grgurash Lee, a tough-as-nails Croatian housewife. Patsy was an Anaconda original whose values and character reflected her hometown.
Patsy attended St. Peter’s Grade School and Anaconda Central High School (class of 1968). She worked at the Washoe Market and loved being at the center of Goosetown. Always quick with a smile or good-natured jab, Patsy connected with everyone at the store. She was devastated when the market burned down in 1980, the same year the smelter closed. Throughout the 1980’s Patsy worked as a clerk at Osco Drug. She left when Osco became a non-union shop and started at the State Hospital at Warm Springs, where she worked until retirement in 2008.
Patsy was always involved in the community. She was an officer in the Croatian Fraternal Union of Anaconda, and lifelong member of the Catholic Church of Anaconda.
Patsy was diagnosed with MS in the early 1990’s. She often said, “I may have MS, but MS won’t have me.” She fought hard and outlasted expectations. Her family is grateful for friends and neighbors who helped her stay in her beloved childhood home until July 2022.
Patsy lived a life of kindness, resilience, and optimism and will never be forgotten. Patsy is survived by her brother Tom Lee of Anaconda, nephew Shawn Lee (Jessica) and family of Shoreline, WA, her “sister” Peggy Simkins (Ron) and family of Richland and Bellingham, WA, and Umatilla, OR, along with numerous Anaconda friends and Wilson-Anderson cousins throughout the country. She is predeceased by her parents and brother Bill Lee of Anaconda.
