Pat, you are Memorable

Hi Pat,

My friend Teri sent me her son's essay that he wrote last year. Joey's assignment was to write about an event that has influenced his life. He was 15 when he went to your Hollywood Memorial last spring. He hadn't ever met you but my friend Teri, his mom, and the whole family attended. He wrote this in December 2009.

"My Personal Experience" by Joey Prata


My life is full of experiences that have both influenced me and made who I am today. Most of them being good, some of them not so much. But there is one that stands out among the rest of the events and that one would have to be a memorial service I went to over the 2009 spring break. As grim as it may sound, it was actually one of the most joyful mornings I have ever been to. It was the memorial service of a man named Pat Blighmer (ha).

Pat died an old retired light technician for the movie industry. He was married and had lived a long happy life with his friends and family. Some people could say Pat was never ungrateful for the things he did in his day to day life. In fact, Pat was probably the happiest man to walk on this planet. He was known for his silly ways and creative thinking by all who knew him. He played the kazoo and had a favorite top hat that he wore whenever he felt like acting fancy or when he wanted to make someone smile. He came up with ingenious ideas, such as the frustration box. The frustration box was a simple wooden box with a hole drilled into one side. You could scream into it and let frustration die inside. Pat was always the one with the laughs.

Personally, I never actually met this man. I was only brought to the memorial service for him after he had died. My parents told me to dress in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt because we were going to mourn a dead guy and I was struck confused at such a situation. But when I arrived at the service, I saw at least seventy people, all working in some form of the movie industry, dressed in shorts with tall socks and Hawaiian shirts. No one was dressed in dark colors, everyone dressed in bright colors, smiling and having a good time. The only people crying were Pat's wife and 2 daughters. Besides them everyone had dry eyes and gleaming faces. It was as if he was there with them talking about all the fun they had way back when.

The memorial itself was a party to be had. It took place outside in the sun underneath the shady trees on a slightly cloudy day. Exactly what he asked for. The people were all sad but showed only happiness in their faces and hearts.

The memorial began with a video collage of pictures of Pat throughout his life and stopped and started every time people came up to talk. The pictures showed Pat doing crazy things like plowing the snow in shorts and posing with Arnold Schwarzenegger on set and Pat just being Pat.
It was uplifting and almost inspirational to watch. Such a life lived. When people went up to speak, they shared funny stories of Pat and crazy experiences they had with him and how much a difference he made to their lives and how they would keep them in their hearts forever and ever. They told everyone how amazing of a man Pat was and how great of a memory we will have of him.

Sitting there watching all of this, I was almost jealous that I never got a chance to meet this man. But in the end, I got to live his life for an hour or two and saw how great life can be. Pat was an alcoholic for a little time in his life but got over that and lived a happy life. Even through all the crap of life, where it is hard to find the light of joy with all the day to day battles we face, this man discovered the joy and never lost it. he treated each day like a great one, I was told, and after hearing that, that was exactly how I wanted to live my life.

Each day a new page in a blank book which is mine to fill with whatever I want. To be myself and be happy with what I can do. To say "I want to live a life like Pat Blighmer and enjoy life to the fullest". That man is the most influential part of my life.

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Pretty Cool, right?

Love,
Xochi

Pat Blymyer's New Hampshire Celebration, August 23, 2009

Sunday was a beautiful day. It may have been raining but it was beautiful inside the little white church and quite bright and happy despite the dark skies. So many memories in that Little White Church, so many friends, some we met the first summer we arrived in Snowville, New Hampshire. The feeling as I looked across those in the church was one of being home. Some of the faces I may not recognize immediately but it didn't matter because they were those that came together with our family to celebrate Pat and being together and I think bringing happy memories up for them too.

There were many laughs and tears. Wonderful stories or moments of how Pat crossed paths and made a permanent impression on so many.

There was a potluck dinner afterwards with so many delicious dishes, Pat would have been in heaven...or perhaps that's where he was watching us enjoy the food from, I hope so.

Thank you to those who were able to attend, to those who were thinking of us that day and to anyone who smiles thinking of Pat.

Love,
Xochi

Pat's Celebration is Today

Hello All -

Today is the day we hold up our glasses to Pat here in Snowville, New Hampshire. It's been a rainy few days so we may not be on the beach of Crystal Lake but just across the lake through the fog is the Little White Church...Pat spent many days trying to figure out how he could fly the angels across the church on the Christmas Eve Pageants! He also wanted to light it up movie style. And so if we end up inside, that is the place to be.

On the lake, one of Pat's wishes was to have lots of lightning machines at work across the lake on this day. Well, he may get his wish if the rain storm today is anything like it has been the last couple of days! But as an alternate, the local fire department is going to create a big fountain in the middle of the lake for us to see! Yes, just as Pat would have been, the people here are figuring out creative ways to celebrate him!

Love to all. Pat's celebration is at 3P here in New Hampshire so the toast would be around 3:46P! Raise a glass, an ice cream, anything at all that you love and toast to Pat. We'll be having shots of Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch as he requested (Blech).

Love,
Xochi

Snowville, NH, here we come to Celebrate Pat

This time next Sunday we will be sitting with all our friends and family on Crystal Lake celebrating Pat...oh, so much to celebrate...30 years of memories there, it'll be like going home, kind of a milestone from the beginning of this year when Pat went off to his next adventure or next location.

We'll see you there Pat. I think you'll like what we have planned, it's a surprise.

I love you,

Xochi

Pat Made Others Colorful too

Hello...just a few more pictures...Pat had a way of getting others to do things they might not normally do...his memorial was the most colorful day of all time.

:)

Imagine the Perfect Day

Today was perfect. Imagine a beautiful, shady patio, looking somewhat like a movie set with the stage and backdrop but also with a very colorful group of people (and by colorful I mean inside and out). All of us today here for one purpose, to celebrate what Pat meant to each of us individually and what he meant to us all together. Pat brought us all together. Today his memories got more laughs than tears or tears with laughter, either way being together made it all the more a day that we'll never forget.

Pat, I hope that you saw the light and love coming your way today. Yes, you can expect visitors, lots and lots of visitors - perhaps not sitting on your bench in Snowville, but definitely we will always have a moment where ever we are to pause and say "Pat, I'm thinking of you" or "That's what Pat Blymyer would have done" and the list goes on and on. Or you'll just hear a giggle, a laugh, that will be one of us remembering a Patism (as John Leonetti said).

Love to all,
Xochi

Pat and his Little Buddy

Pat always had a dog for as long as I can remember.

  

This Little Buddy is Ramsey...isn't this a great photo of a man and his best friend?    Any dog was truly lucky to have Pat in his life.   Despite dogs liking to walk, even Pat was sometimes too fast for them.  :)       (He was definitely too fast of a walker for most of us humans!)   Unless it was a stroll.  

This was a beach near Digby, Nova Scotia.

Top Hat Pat

I don't think most people know that a top hat can really be worn pretty much anytime, you just gotta have the right attitude.   

Pat might add his white scarf and cane as well if it was a night out on the town, special occasion or he just got the urge.     That was another Patism.   :)  

Pat's Memorial Celebration - March 29, 2009 - 1P

PAT BLYMYER'S 

MEMORIAL CELEBRATION

We gather today to honor and celebrate Pat's life

Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 1P

Los Angeles River Center and Gardens

570 West Avenue 26

Los Angeles, CA  90065

One of Pat's requests whenever this day came along was that 

we all wear colorful clothes, shorts and no black!

A Valentine Anytime is okay

For Pat, it didn't have to be Valentine's Day to tell Mom he loved her.  When they packed up for Mexico we found many memories tucked in all over the house.  This was one of my favorite things I brought home for safe keeping.    I'll have to check and see if this was a "just because I love you I'm going to cut a piece of wood into a heart for you"?  7/14/83 - that would have been the middle of a busy summer at the Snowvillage Inn.   Oh, Pat...

Pat being Pat

  did you know Pat could dance?  and wiggle?  

Pat Blymyer's Memorial Celebration

I wanted to keep you updated on what the plans are to celebrate Pat's life.

We are planning a memorial on Sunday, March 29th.   The details are not set but please mark your calendar with this date, more details will come soon.

Thanks a lot,

Xochi