Patricia "Nonna" (Mazzarella) Larson

It is with immense sadness that the family of Patricia Larson announces her death at age 79 “with all of her own teeth.” She passed peacefully without “making a scene” supported by her daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter. Patricia wore many hats in her lifetime as a scholar, wife, mama, daughter, sister, aunt, godmother, teacher, friend, and most importantly, Nonna and Grande Nonna. She made a deep and lasting impact on this world in all of these capacities.

Patricia was born in Brooklyn, NY, to William and Rita Mazzarella in a naval shipyard on March 26, 1945. She was one of four children, along with Rita Diane, Judith and Bill. Patricia grew up all over the US but primarily in Oceanside, California, where she graduated (OHS ‘63), met and married her beloved Jon Larson, a “real piece of work” who predeceased her in 1996. She was proud to be a Regents Scholar who graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science. Patricia and Jon immigrated to Canada in 1971 with their infant children, Angela and Amy, eventually settling in Logan Lake, BC. They were both outstanding teachers, deeply respected by the community and inspirational to a generation of children. Many of those children have emulated them by becoming teachers themselves.

After Jon passed away, Patricia retired and moved to Salmon Arm to join daughter Amy and family. She became an integral part of the Witt family as Rachel’s Nonna. Before long, she was beloved Nonna to the entire Salmon Arm community. When Patricia loved you, you felt it. She was devoted to the service of others, adored volunteering in the schools and at the food bank, and developed deep friendships with people of all ages.

Patricia was extraordinarily clever and funny, always ready with her broad vocabulary, quips, and turns of phrases. Most of “her people” have a phrase that they attribute to her with a smile. The world is so much less interesting, loving and humorous without Patricia in it. She was a real “pip.”

In her later years, Patricia often spoke of both the pain and privilege of “survivorship.” She deeply missed her parents, her sisters Rita and Judith, her husband Jon, her daughter Angela, and sister-in-law Kaija. She also lost a number of deeply cherished friends along the way. She missed “teaching school,” the freedom of driving with her “Nonna P” plates, and being able to “lift the children.” She was simultaneously thrilled and grateful to watch her most cherished human, granddaughter Rachel, marry Colin and bring the great grandbabies, Kennett and Cameron, into the family.

As a New York Italian, Patricia was a real “pistol” and often remarked that she was “connected.” Left to figure out life without her love, loyalty, and fierce protectiveness are family Amy and Dave Witt, Rachel, Colin, Kennett and Cameron Woodhurst, Tjana and Bjorn Witt, Bill and Wendy Mazzarella, Tim Nichols, Lars Larson, Bill Liston, and their extended families. The list is so much longer but Patricia would tell us to “just get a grip.”

The family would like to thank everyone who made Patricia’s life so rich, right up to the end, always being so happy to cross paths with her, share some “scoop,” or talk politics. Specific thanks to Colin’s extended family, her much loved “Girls Group,” Morgan and Cheryl, the Baker, Morgan, and Widdifield families, Bruce and Carol, Barb and Linda, Arbor Lodge family, political ally Cecilia, companion Sandy, daily contact Barbara, unofficial grandkids Whitney and Lois, and the Logan Lake Elementary Retired Teachers’ Luncheon Society. Additional thanks to the profoundly caring and competent staff of the Palliative Care Team at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.

Patricia has asked that there not be a singular service but rather that people gather together organically in small groups, “have a shooter, slip a lip on some grub, and think nice things” about her. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Shuswap Hospital Foundation (https://www.shuswaphospitalfoundation.org/).