On April 8, 2017, Patricia Jean (Covington) Gobel of Manteca, CA passed away at the age of 81, with her three daughters by her side.  She was  preceded in death by her parents Floyd and Linda Covington, siblings Doreen and Bill, and son-in-law Dave Nicholson.
Pat was born 16,1935 at 5405 Maywood Ave., Los Angeles, CA.  As a child Pat used to walk past the house she was born in and imagine what it looked like inside but she was too street smart to go up to the front door and knock.
   Pat is survived by her daughters Brenda (Bob) Milano and their children Anthony, Alyssa, Adelina, Amy and Ashley, Mickey (Tim) Neuner and their children Bryce (Kristina), Trevor, Troy and Timmy, Cindy Nicholson and her children Dillion and Kayla, and three great grandchildren Logan, Allison and Ethan.
   Pat was always a hard working woman who took pride in her Choctaw heritage.  She enjoyed sewing clothes for her girls, creating beautiful dresses each year for school.  Pat worked as a waitress at the Smitties in Manteca (now a Frosty’s) during high school, as a babysitter, at the Tomato Shed, Lidos, and at Owens Illinois (Tracy, CA).  Pat also volunteered as a girl scout leader, a docent for the Manteca Historical society, the Manteca senior center (where she cooked, worked as a trips and tours host, and starred in plays), and was a proud muralist for the Manteca Mural Society.
   Pat loved her parents 1936 Packard that she learned to drive in and told stories of learning to “slip a clutch”.  She remembered the car fondly, and often shared with her daughters her regrets that her father sold it.  She loved to be with her girls and delighted in hosting Christmas dinners and family gatherings. Pat loved being a grandma and being there for her grandchildren.  She was creative, designing numerous quilts and paintings.  She was a seamstress, but also enjoyed woodworking and tending to her yard.
   Pat loved Manteca and was a member of the first 8th grade class at Lincoln Grammar School.  She told the story of how the students started school in an open air classroom for the first week until construction was  finished.  She attended Manteca High School and proudly graduated in 1953.
   Pat will be greatly missed by her girls Brenda, Mickey and Cindy, as well as their families.  She was an integral part of their lives and life will not be as sweet without her physical presence.  “You’ll always be in our hearts, Mom.”
   A private celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Tuesday, April 25, 2017