Patty Lenz stepped off the bus and, with the other rough and tumble Seneca kids, entered hallowed halls of Grant Union High School. She was followed (or perhaps led) by her older brother, Mike, and her cousins Bonnie and Gary. Those were the Lenz kids enrolled that fall of 1966 but there had been more ahead and there would be more to follow.

Pat was in the band that year..long dark hair, long bangs, and signature blonde streak swinging across her face. Patty was not afraid to express her opinions, dance to her own rhythm, and live out loud! Those qualities would hold her in good stead..life had a battle in store for the young Miss Lenz.

In her junior year Patty was diagnosed with a kidney disease which would test her character and threaten her life. After countless trips to Portland (mother, Maddie, by her side), innumerable rounds of dialysis, scares and set-backs , a kidney transplant became the only option. (It might be worth noting that another character stood out during this epic journey..a young man by the name of George Walker..also from Seneca, also a GUHS grad, and Mike's best friend. Little sister had her knight in shining armor and the plot thickened..)

Kidney transplants were in their infancy but the Med School in Portland could handle it. It was not the ideal match but it had to be done. In what would become true-to-form for Patty, she kept her kidney while many of her friends and fellow patients were losing their transplants and often their lives.

On March 14, l970 Patty Marie Lenz became Mrs. George Walker, Jr and they set up house-keeping in Seneca. Because of her illness, Pat had missed her senior year with the class of l970. Newly married and still recovering, Patty went back to school and happily graduated with the class of l971.

Many challenges were ahead for this remarkable woman but Patty Walker went on to lead a full and happy life. She was "Mom" to two daughters (Kristi Lynne, born 8/16/74 and Kimberly Dawn, born 10/22/79). She was "Grandma" to 8 grandchildren, and adored "Aunt Pat" to a myriad of nieces and nephews. She was loyal and loving to her in-laws and (perhaps most telling) to the out-laws among us! She was a transplant and breast cancer "Survivor". She was "Wife", "Daughter", "Sister", and "Friend".

Patty died on February 21, 2005. This world is a better place because she was in it.