N. Patrick Thomison 1947 - 2022

Patrick Thomison was born August 12, 1947, in Portland, Oregon, to Lucas and Virginia (Martin) Thomison. He spent his early childhood in St. Helens, where his parents operated a grocery store. Following the death of their mother in 1949, Pat and his sisters moved to Portland under the care of their grandparents, Norval and Alice Martin.

Pat recollected many youthful summers with family in The Dalles and Bend. He attended Marymount Military Academy in Tacoma, Roosevelt and Grant high schools in Portland, Weatherwax High School in Aberdeen, and St. George’s in Vancouver, BC. An avid athlete, Pat enjoyed and excelled at running track, swimming, playing basketball, football, baseball and rugby. He was also a skilled marksman. At 50, he returned to playing rugby at the Nike World Masters Games, and later with a Portland Pigs affiliate team, the Old Boars.

Pat graduated with honors in 1978 from Oregon College of Education in Monmouth, having studied anthropology and sociology. He earned his master’s degree at Oregon State University, spent many years working on archaeology projects throughout Oregon and Washington between 1976 and 1990, and as curator of history while in Roseburg. He also enjoyed working on his father-in-law’s dynamiting crew. He was a proud member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. While at OCE, Pat met Amy Jo Keppinger, and they wed in 1981. They lived in Salem, Roseburg and Dayton. Pat worked in the classroom at Dayton Junior High for a dozen years providing social and academic support to students before retiring in 2012.

With a deep appreciation of art and cultural artifacts of all kinds, Pat enjoyed many hobbies. He collected books, rocks, radios, bobbleheads, and an eclectic array of what he called "early period chaos." He was a dedicated fisherman, hunter, gardener, enjoyed playing pool, camping, boating, played both classical acoustic and bluesy electric guitars, as well as harmonica. He was a huge fan of Miles Davis, Junior Wells and Bob Dylan, and once drove to Chicago with his dog Blue to jam with Junior Wells. He loved many pets over the years, including dogs, Blue, Dina, and Little Eva, cats, Fitzy, Blackie and Orbit, a pair of cardinals, and a parakeet named Owsley. However, Pat’s greatest joy and accomplishment in life was his family, and he especially relished the time he spent with his sons, Joe and Jesse, at their many school and sports activities, camping, fishing and hunting trips.

Pat is survived by his wife; sons; grandson, Benson; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sisters, JoAnne Heath, Mary Gallagher and Wilda Graves.

Services are pending. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Sweet Bye N Bye Memory Care, or Willamette Vital Health (hospice), both in Salem, Oregon.