Patricia M. “Pat” Burlison

Patricia M. “Pat” Burlison, 76, died peacefully March 15, 2013 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer after a short but valiant battle with cancer.

A memorial service and reception are at 2 p.m., May 6 at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 1015 S. Check St., Wasilla. Her ashes will be scattered later this summer.

Patricia was born July 24, 1936, in St. Joseph, Mo., to Ernest and Margaret Jenkins. She was raised by her grandmother on a farm in Oklahoma.

She married Edward Burlison at the age of 16 and lived in Texas and Tulsa, Okla., before moving to Fairbanks, where she helped her husband run his plumbing and supply store for many years. After his death, she moved to Juneau, where she started using her nursing education taking care of elderly clients too numerous to mention. She also lived in Palmer and Wasilla continuing the same kind of care until she retired.

Her hobbies were gardening, sewing, reading and cooking. Her biscuits “from scratch,” along with her presence at the Food Pantry of Wasilla, will especially be missed.

All of her family (human and animal) preceded her in death except her cat, Squieke. Her surrogate families at the Wasilla Senior Center, Food Pantry of Wasilla and in and around the Mat-Su Borough from Sutton to Willow will miss her dearly. Despite her feisty sense of humor, she had a heart of gold and an enormous love of the Lord that she shared with too few of her friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s memory can be made to the Food Pantry of Wasilla, 501 E. Bogard Rd., Wasilla, AK 99654.

Arrangements are with Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory.