PAT NUNAN

“You’re losing your family,” a friend sadly noted.

Yes, it’s true. My sister Joni’s husband, Pat Nunan, passed away on Saturday, March 18, just four months after sister Harriet's unexpected passing,  It’s hard to face the fact that those I remember as young adults – getting married, establishing careers, having families, etc. – are now passing from this life. In a way, we can't complain. We had them with us a lifetime.

As we laid our Grandfather Portfors (Papa) to rest in December, 1971, it was Pat who remarked, “Everyone shifts up a generation now.” I have often thought of that. At 96, Papa was the last of our grandparents to leave, and with his passing my parents became the official elders of our family.

Pat -- quirky sense of humor

I thought Pat’s obituary said it so well: “His family remembers him best for his consistently sage advice, his quirky sense of humor and his calm, dependable support in any situation.” I don’t think I could summarize my memories of Pat any better than that.

Joni -- cute girl with a beautiful smile

The obit also observed that Pat married "a cute girl with a beautiful smile," Farrol Joan 'Joni' Walrath. It was June 11, 1956, and marriage happened for Joni and Pat just the way it was supposed to in that era. They both finished their educations, graduating from the University of Idaho and leaving campus to get married a week or so later. They found an apartment on the second floor of an old house in Moscow. Soon after, Pat began his banking career at First Security Bank and Joni taught school in Potlatch.

In my memories, registered when I was six, I see a lot of young adults, who are now our elders and gradually passing from our lives. Sometimes I wonder – how did we get here from there? Seems like yesterday, but someone told me it was a long time ago. KW