Patricia Dawson Roper's Obituary
Patricia Dawson was born on April 09, 1940 in Harvey, Illinois. In 1945 her family moved to Portsmouth, VA. and later moved to National City, California in 1979. Patricia was proficient in the secretarial field and could type a minimum of 120 wpm. She maintained her shorthand skills long after she learned how to take dictation. She married James Dale Roper on November 15, 1987 at Highland Park Baptist Church in San Diego, CA. She and her husband have lived the past 15 years in The Meadows Mobile Home Park in El Cajon, CA. Patricia enjoyed being with friends and family and rarely “met a stranger.” She was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2008 and was told her life expectancy could be approximately 18 months. She endured surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation with God’s help. She amazed her doctors by living an additional seven years – 5 ½ years longer than expected! Patricia was a phenomenal encourager. She attended Bethel Christian Assembly, Alpine, CA. since 2011 and began her ministry there by making weekly phone calls telling them they were “loved” and that she and James (aka Jim) were looking forward to seeing them in church on Sunday. She often personalized her calls by asking how their family members and/or pets were doing (only because she had ongoing notes to interject a personal touch.) She kept unbelievably accurate records of all the calls she made from September 22, 2011 until August 16, 2015 when she was no longer able to make them due to her failing health. Not only was Patricia a great encourager to her church family but also whenever she would pass anyone, she would say, “Hello, have a nice day.” If she was sitting by someone (whether or not she knew them) she would always find something nice to say about that person or about their clothing, hair, etc. She always saw the good in everyone she met and often greeted her family/friends with an “I love you.” One of her favorite sayings was: “God is good, all the time — All the time, God is good.” Patricia passed away peacefully to her eternal reward on Sunday, November 8, 2015 at 7:55 a.m. with her loving husband, James, Sr. Adult Pastors, Gary and Pat Craft, and her Hospice Crisis intervention nurse by her side. Patricia touched lives that only Heaven can reveal. We love you, Pat, and we thank God for your time here on earth. You will be missed but never forgotten.
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