Patrick Westfeldt

Patrick McLoskey Westfeldt, Jr., Oct. 1, 1943 - July 29, 2024

Patrick McLoskey Westfeldt Jr., 80, died on July 29 at his home in the Frasier Meadows retirement community, with his loved ones by his side. He had bravely lived with Alzheimer's for the past 10 years.

Patrick was an electrical engineer until his retirement, working at Texas Instruments, Ball Aerospace in Colorado, and at his own company, North Boulder Circuit Design. But his life was not defined by his career. Patrick was a lifelong learner who always sought new intellectual and physical challenges. He was a mountain climber who scaled Colorado's highest peaks again and again; a musician who taught himself piano and guitar; a marathon runner and a long-distance cyclist; a competitive bridge player; a Chinese history buff; and above all, a proud father and grandfather.

Patrick's lifelong commitment to exercise was so remarkable that he kept up his miles-long walks even during the worst of the COVID pandemic, doing loops around the perimeter of Frasier Meadows' property when he was no longer allowed to leave campus. He became known to all at Frasier as "the man who walks."

More recently, fellow Frasier residents and staff in his assisted living community discovered one of his lesser-known talents: his lovely, clear singing voice. Singing his favorite songs - from Bob Dylan to Broadway - became one of Patrick's greatest joys in the final years of his life.

Another defining passion for Patrick was his commitment to helping others. In addition to his service in the National Guard, Patrick was a proud and active member of Alcoholics Anonymous for decades, with more than 40 years' sobriety. In his earlier years, he regularly served as a sponsor and group leader, and actively participated in outreach programs in prisons. At Thanksgiving, he would often skip a family celebration to have a meal in a restaurant with any AA members who were alone for the holiday.

Patrick was born in Houston to Patrick McLoskey Westfeldt Sr. and Elizabeth "Betty" Weems Westfeldt. The family soon settled down in Colorado where Patrick Sr. went to law school and later became one of the founding partners of Holland & Hart. Elizabeth Weems regularly hosted events for the Conference on World Affairs and became an architect in her 50s.

Patrick left Boulder to attend high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he graduated with honors. He went on to Yale University, receiving an economics degree in 1966. He married Connie Meyers soon after graduation, and they settled down in Connecticut to raise their two daughters, while Patrick worked as a rising executive at International Silver Company.

When his first marriage ended, Patrick returned to Boulder and embarked on a new career path, enrolling at the University of Colorado-Boulder and completing a B.S. in engineering in 1982. He would later earn a master's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Texas.

Patrick met and married Katie MacReynolds in Boulder, where they raised Patrick's beloved son, Macky. Patrick loved cheering Macky on at basketball and baseball games and, later in life, hiking mountains with him.

During the last two years of his life, Patrick made wonderful friends at Frasier Meadows' assisted living community, and rediscovered his decades-long passion for the CU women's basketball team, which he began following in the 1980s. With the help of his brother Wallace, he led Frasier Meadows' fan base, hosting viewing parties, and taking his many new friends to practices, games and meet and greets with team members over CU's last two seasons.

Patrick is survived by his two daughters, Amy and Jennifer Westfeldt; his brother, Wallace Westfeldt; his sister-in-law, Amy Cannon Westfeldt; his granddaughters, Alex and Samantha Westfeldt; nephews Dylan Westfeldt, Nate Westfeldt, Patrick B. Westfeldt, and Ben Westfeldt; and many cousins, great-nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his son Macky, and by his younger brother Weems Westfeldt, who passed away 12 weeks before Patrick.

The family wants to thank the wonderful staff at Frasier Meadows for their compassionate, tireless, loving care, and for helping Patrick to enjoy life in the face of increasing challenges. Special thanks as well to Patrick's devoted caregiver Maria Ocampo; to the wonderful group of women who were his friends and neighbors at Frasier AL: Bev, Dorothy, Suzie, Patricia, Barb, Eloise, Jane, Sarah, Vera, and, most importantly, Barbara Spies, who was his constant companion in the last year of his life.

Patrick's daughters would especially like to thank Patrick's beloved friend of many years, Kathy Denault; Dr. James Oberwetter, Patrick's stepbrother; and their uncle Wallace Westfeldt, who became their father's touchstone, caregiver, and tireless advocate during Patrick's final years.

We will always miss Patrick's empathy, humility, curiosity, integrity, sense of humor, determination, and incredible intellect. But most of all we will miss his infectious smile and his twinkling blue eyes.

A celebration of Patrick's life will take place on Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. at Frasier Meadows' El Dorado room, 350 Ponca Place, Boulder.

In lieu of flowers, Patrick and the family would appreciate any donations to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) or the Colorado Women's Basketball Program Excellence Fund (contact Matt.Hower@colorado.edu).