Patricia Susan Lott

Patricia passed away in a tragic automobile collision on September 26, 2008 in Seattle, WA, at the age of 57. She was born on June 8, 1951 in Cedar Falls, IA, where her father was a college math professor. Her family was fond of the outdoors and spent many summers at a small lake in northern Minnesota.

She earned a B.A. in music at the Evergreen College in Olympia and stayed in the Pacific Northwest to pursue an opera and concert-singing career, which included singing with Seattle Opera and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. It culminated with a solo concert at the Mahler Festival in the Italian Alps.
God had other plans for Patricia. The cruel diagnosis of Scleroderma abruptly ended her operatic career at age 39. She became involved with an organization that focuses on patient support, public awareness of Scleroderma, and funding for research. Her drive was instrumental in founding a local chapter, which continues to help Scleroderma survivors cope with this horrible, debilitating disease.

She did not know how much longer she would be able to walk, so she decided to enjoy some dancing while she could. Through dancing, she met a neighbor who later beca...[more]

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her domestic partner for nearly 17 years. Together, they enjoyed music, dancing, and old movies.
As her mobility declined, she discovered a different way to enjoy the outdoor world when she started providing water and food for birds in her backyard. As an unexpected reward for her efforts, bird watching helped to free her from a wheelchair in 1999. She used her Public Administration training master's degree from Seattle University during her volunteer work for the Seattle Audubon and the Washington Ornithological Societies. She also became an advocate for habitat protection and for gardening for wildlife with native plants.

Patricia loved birds so much that she called them her angels. She found inspiration in the joy, freedom, and beauty these delicate creatures brought to her life. Please protect, admire, care for, and respect her feathered friends … the next one you see could be bringing you a special message from our dear Patricia.

She is survived by her mother Kathryn; her sister Diana Anderson; her domestic partner Alan Lincoln; and other family members. She was preceded in death by her father Dr. Fred W. Lott, Jr. of the University of Northern Iowa math department and her brother Dr. Fred W. Lott, III a subatomic particle physicist listed in "Who's Who in the World".

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2008 at Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline, WA.

Memorial donations for Patricia Lott may be made to any to the following:

The Scleroderma Foundation
300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 105
Danvers, MA 01923
http://www.scleroderma.org/

Seattle Opera Association
1020 John Street
Seattle, WA 98109
http://www.seattleopera.org/

American Institute of Musical Studies
3500 Maple Avenue
Suite 120, LB22
Dallas, TX 75219-3901

Wedgwood Community Church
8201 – 30th Avenue N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
http://www.wedgwoodchurch.org/

Eastside Domestic Violence Program
P.O. Box 6398
Bellevue, WA 98008
http://www.edvp.org/

The Evergreen State College
2700 Evergreen Parkway N.W.
Olympia, WA 98505
http://www.evergreen.edu/

Seattle Audubon Society
8050 - 35th Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
http://www.seattleaudubon.org/

Washington Ornithological Society
P.O. Box 31783
Seattle, WA 98103
http://www.wos.org/