Patricia Minnick

Pacific Palisades lost a treasure on Jan. 16: Patricia “Pat” Minnick.

Patricia was born on Sept. 23, 1921. Pat lived in the Palisades for approximately 67 years and graduated from UCLA.

She often referred to herself as an “artist to the core.” She designed her own Christmas cards every year—hand drawn with a hand-written note inside.

She loved color, rainbows, animals and people. Patricia wrote and illustrated many of her own beautiful, creative life stories. She taught two arrangement art classes up until her last birthday this year when she turned 96.

She was known for her generosity and love for animals. She belonged to approximately 33 animal groups all over the world. You may have seen her photo in National Geographic. In 2007 she established a charitable gift annuity to support National Geographic and was a direct part of society’s efforts to inspire people to care about our planet.

She was a professional landscape architect and designed her own home on the El Medio Bluffs. Every wall was in color and the set designer of the movie “Shampoo” built it.

She was known for landscaping many of the older homes here in the Palisades and all over the Los Angeles area. She was a dynamo—she had a vision like no other. Her last landscape design was on a 1926 Spanish home in 2016. She had a brilliant mind.

She loved to have an afternoon fire in her fireplace and watch as the fire danced. She watched endless shows on the National Geographic channel, and she enjoyed her morning walk to the bluff to say good morning to the ocean and sea animals.

She had a pet squirrel named Susie and a pet bird named Jorge that visited her daily in her backyard. She attended the annual 90-plus-year-old birthday celebration at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club each year and was always excited to eat the peanut butter yogurt from The Yogurt Shoppe and to celebrate with others.

She loved to be … she has touched all who have met her, and her spirit and soul will live on. She will be missed by many friends and animals. She is an angel, a guiding light.

We love and adore you Patricia—not a day goes by that we don’t appreciate all of the gifts you shared with us and taught us. With love and gratitude, we will see you again over the rainbow bridge.