Patricia "Pat" Murphey Rostker

Patricia "Pat" Murphey Rostker passed away peacefully on Oct. 31, 2011, at her home in Monrovia, Calif. She was 90. Pat was born to Dr. Pat and Julia Lenon Murphey in Little Rock, Ark., on July 3, 1921. She attended public schools there where she developed many life long friendships. Her grandfather, Warren E Lenon, was the mayor of Little Rock, which was her entryway into public service. She met the love of her life, Skipper, at Northwestern University, where she graduated with a degree in social work. They married in 1944 and moved to California in 1946, settling in Pasadena in 1949. As they cared for their parents and beloved Aunt Vivion Lenon Brewer, Pat became aware of the lack of resources and rights for the elderly. She actively served on many community organizations. She was past president of the Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Advisory Council, past president of the Pasadena Senior Commission, founding member and past president of the Foothill chapter of the Older Women's League (OWL), and a member of the Monrovia Provider's Group, Pasadena Senior Commission on Aging, Pasadena Senior Center Board, League of Women Voters, YWCA, NAACP, Heifer Project, and the Democratic party. In 1969, she established the Placement Service for Older Workers (PSOW) in Pasadena and was its director until her retirement in 1983. She will be remembered for being an instigator, an activist, and a catalyst. Her passions and activities were not limited to the elderly; she was also an advocate for justice and equality. She, Skipper, and daughter, Vivion, were among plaintiffs in a 1967 lawsuit that resulted in the desegregation of Pasadena schools. She was also actively involved in her children's lives, including PTA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the most popular birthday parties for friends of all ages at their Pasadena home, complete with her famous birthday cakes with hidden prizes. She was a renaissance woman. She is remembered for her love of, in no particular order, sunsets, vodka tonics, justice, libraries, family, friends, fun, unreliable sports cars, and drinking fountains. She frequently remarked "there are never enough drinking fountains" and over time, Skipper surprised her with the donation of three drinking fountains dedicated to her. The drinking fountains are in Defenders Park (Pasadena), Skateboard Park (Monrovia), and outside Harris Hall at Northwestern University where they first met. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Skipper; four children, Murphey (Phyllis), Steve (Wendy and four children, Jake, Shawn, Patrick, and Jeremy), Margaret, and Vivion. There will be a private internment at Roselawn Cemetery in Little Rock, Ark. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Pasadena Senior Center for the TLC/Phone Alert Program, attention Marie Logan, 85 E Holly St., Pasadena, Calif., 91103-3907, or to the Little Rock, Ark., office of the Nature Conservancy, attention Susan Borne' 601 N. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark., 72205.