John Patrick Rafferty

J. PATRICK "PAT" RAFFERTY December 13, 1949 May 1, 2017 Pat was loving, patient, kind and creative. Our family is better because he was ours. Pat Rafferty was born in Tillamook, Oregon on December 13, 1949. He passed away at home on May 1, 2017. Pat was our loving mate, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, MacGyver, neighbor, and problem solver. He wrapped our presents (everyone's. He was the go to guy for wrapping presents, often very creatively). He helped. He enjoyed. He nurtured. He laughed (wicked sense of humorbut never at anyone's expense). He fished. He was a builder and a fixer. He gardened. He encouraged. He listened. He uplifted others. He was a saved man who understood the sacred order of things. He was loved. And, he will forever be missed. Pat loved his family most of all and was happiest when there was a big family gathering. He was the best guy on the barbecue with flank steak or salmon. His smoked turkey was terrific. The party was even better if there were dilly bars. His early years were spent in Portland. He and his four siblings (Mike/deceased, Rebecca/Seattle, Terry/deceased, and Elizabeth/Eugene) were separated from each other when their family went through some difficult times. Stability was found when he became a foster child of Jean and Andy Alviar. Pat, Jean, and foster sister, Roxanne, have reconnected and enjoyed many great times together in the past few years. A second home that brought a solid base to Pat's life was here in Vancouver when he became the foster son of Martin and Doris Seida. He graduated from Columbia River High School in 1967 where he played football and wrestled. He was nicknamed "Irish". After graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Later, he would learn to plumb and build houses. There was nothing Pat couldn't design and build. Some of his favorite projects were homes, garden sheds, decks, bat houses (ask granddaughter Evelyn about that) and more. Eventually, he made his way into industrial sales. He was a natural with people. His strongest suit was to learn what problem a customer needed solvedand then he would solve it. He loved his profession, but his love for his family was the top priority in his life. He is survived by wife Leone Rafferty, children Megan (Jeff) Fries, Katie (Dustin) Ritter, Sam (Julie) Mills, and Katie (Thayer) Dickey, grandchildren Evelyn, Cerie, Alia, Owen and Brynlee, sisters Rebecca and Elizabeth, nieces Bettina and Samantha, foster mom Jean Alviar, and foster sister Roxanne Alviar. Pat's memorial service will be 3:00 PM Monday, May 8th PM at the Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 101 NE 112th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98684. A reception will follow in the community room. In lieu of flowers, Pat's family has two suggestions for charitable giving in his name. Because he loved fishing the Lewis River, we chose to support a group that works on the river's fish habitat. https://www.fishfirst.org/donate A second suggestion is to help fund a bench at Southcliff Park where Pat was a regular at the playground with his grandkids. Donations can be made at http://www.parksfoundation.us/support (click 'donate now', choose a one-time amount, and note that it is in support of the Rafferty bench project). Donations can also be mailed to Parks Foundation of Clark County, P.O. Box 61424, Vancouver, WA 98666. Please note that your donation is in support of the Rafferty bench project.

John Patrick Rafferty

December 13, 1949 - May 1, 2017