Obituary
The world lost a little bit of its luster when Patti Jean (Price) Truttman passed away at home surrounded by her family on the afternoon of December 27, 2022. She was born to Gary “Johnny” and Millie Price on February 24, 1949. She spent her childhood in Yreka and Montague and met the love of her life, Carl Truttman, as a teenager. Carl and Patti were married on August 7, 1965 and for the next 57 years they made their home in Grenada. They raised their three children, Carla, Shannon and Jason, and created a home that was the central location of countless family gatherings, holiday meals and birthday celebrations. Patti’s yard was always a sense of pride from the first bloom of daffodils in the Spring, followed by the arrival of peonies, petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and roses. Adding to the depth of beauty Patti worked so hard to create and maintain were dogwoods, birches and Japanese maples which sheltered the yellow finches, robins, doves and an occasional owl or woodpecker. This outward show of beauty was truly a reflection of Patti’s inner beauty which she shared generously with everyone.
With kindness and compassion, she opened her heart to everyone she met with a vibrant, contagious smile and a sparkling eye. She began working with children as a teacher’s aide at Montague Elementary in the mid- 1970s before taking a job at Big Springs Elementary, where she also served as a cheerleading coach. Patti ultimately found her home at Grenada Elementary where she guided, supported and encouraged countless children as a Primary Intervention Specialist. “Patti Time” became a coveted standard at Grenada Elementary where she made every child feel cherished and safe. Even in her retirement years, she volunteered at Yreka High School, where she continued to spread her positivity and made others feel loved, special and warm with her very presence. Whether you called her Mom, Aunt Pat, Miss Patti, or Nan, she was always your biggest fan!
One of her greatest joys was cheering on her grandchildren during their many sporting events. Whether cheering on the Grenada Wildcats, the Yreka Miners or the Western Oregon Wolves, she was always decked out in team colors with her own bit of sparkle and bling. It didn’t take many games before she was cheering loudly for every player on the team and handing out hugs to celebrate their victories or commiserate their defeats.
If she couldn’t be at home with her family or cheering on her grandkids, she loved to spend time at the ocean. A treasure box full of memories and precious keepsakes collected during her long walks on the beach with family rests in her dining room. Music was a constant in Patti’s life and marked both the extraordinary and ordinary moments in her life. The love shared between Carl and Patti was always obvious, but never more evident than when they were waltzing around a dance floor. Just as in every other aspect of Patti’s life, the love she shared with Carl inspired everyone around them.
Patti is survived by her husband, Carl, her daughters, Carla Truttman and Shannon (Truttman) Currie and her family, Shannon (husband), and children, Jordan, Callie and Ty; her son, Jason Truttman and his family, Jennifer (wife) and children, Jaci and Trevor; her sister, Linda Jackson and her brother, Johnny Ray Price.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the USI Scholarship, Inc. at Post Office Box 1328, Yreka, CA 96097 in the name of the Truttman Family Memorial Foundation. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the near future, time and location to be determined.
