Patricia Hurley Rife

Obituary Patricia Hurley Rife was born on March 15, 1932 to Edmund and Helen Hurley in Brookline, MA. and died June 14, 2017 in Tacoma WA. Pat was preceded in death by her siblings John, Eddie and Joan. She attended Lawrence Elementary school, Academy of Notre Dame and graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. with a BA in Political Science in 1953. Pat received an MS degree in Library Science from Simmons College in 1954. Though she grew up in Brookline, her first love was spending the first 22 summers of her life at Goose Rocks Beach on the southern Maine Coast. Pat's adventurous spirit led her on many adventures including cross country driving trips with one ending in Portland, OR. There she worked for the Multnomah County Library and especially loved driving a bookmobile around the county, always finding the right book for the right person and building friendships with new people, reflecting her curiosity and lifelong love of reading. Pat's life changed forever when she met her husband, Bob Rife. After dating for a year they were married on September 8, 1956. They moved to Tacoma, WA in 1959 and made it their permanent home for the past 58 years. Pat eventually became the librarian at Bellarmine Prep for 20 years where her love of helping students was obvious to all. Pat's strong Catholic faith led her to an active involvement at St. Leo's Parish where for many years she was a parish council member, Eucharistic minister and was involved at the Martin Luther King Center. She was an important part of the League of Women Voters, Catholic Woman's Club, various book clubs, co-founder of TOPICS, an adult Catholic education program and longtime member at Fircrest Golf Club. Pat will be deeply missed by her husband Bob and 3 children: Bob, Sara and Michael. She was a wonderfully supportive mother-in-law to Leslie, Kevin and Susan. She found great joy in her 7 grandchildren: Brian and Kaitlin Rife, Michael (wife Julie, great grandson Oliver), Megan and Katherine (fiancé Joseph Ingman) Bryant and Emma and Nolan Rife. Pat and Bob shared a love of traveling and adventure, including 18 trips to Europe, a golf/safari in South Africa and 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. They traveled all over the US spending time with friends and family, including multiple cross country car trips with their young children. Pat and Bob began a cherished family tradition 22 years ago of hosting their children and growing families for a fun filled week at Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon. Pat loved talking with people and learning about their lives. She was a strong woman with a warm heart and love for others. She enjoyed a good discussion about topics important to her. Her deep faith, sense of humor, inquisitive mind and social concerns revealed a warm and compassionate person. Their home was often filled with family and friends and great conversation as Bob and Pat loved to entertain. Her ultimate legacy can be seen in the lives of her children and family whom she loved as much as life itself. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Leo's Church, Thursday, June 29th at 12:10 PM. Memorial donations may be made in Pat's name to St. Leo's Catholic Church Building Fund or Food Connection. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home