Patrick Glestad Ellsberg

49 years ago, the Ellsberg Brothers came into my life. They were living in El Cerrito, CA with 3 other roommates. I was 16, Pat was 22, and Bob was 24. One of their roommates, Greg Hetrick, was a teacher and coach at my high school. Greg had been “adopted” by my mother, because he still needed a guiding hand in his life. Greg was my brother’s gymnastic coach. Greg, who was for most purposes, my big brother asked if I could come over to his house and clean so he could give the gym boys a party. So, we went over there, and wow what a mess!!! The roommates got together and begged Greg to get me to come over weekly and clean up the place. So, my first job was their housekeeper. Soon my mother adopted Bob and Pat into the family. They came over weekly bringing groceries and my mom would cook up a huge meal for them. It was not long after that that we all started paling around on short trips, fishing, etc. They came to my dance recitals bringing bouquets of flowers to present to me at the end. After I turned 18, Bob and I started to fall for each other (maybe it was a little before I was 18) LOL Pat suggested I go to Chico for my last 2 years of college and he would often visit and take me to sights around the area and show me things he liked to do when he attended Chico. While Pat was vacationing in SE Asia with Greg and Marty Walden in 1977, Bob and I were planning our move to Astoria, OR where he had landed a teaching job at Clatsop CC. Things were getting complicated with all the moving plans and Bob suggested we take a day and drive up to Reno and get married, so off we went. When Pat came home Bob gave Pat a call and told him that we had gotten married and Pat was so confused, why would Bob marry his sister? I guess he really had not noticed Bob’s attraction and his love for me. A few years later Bob talked Pat into moving to Astoria to teach at CCC. At the College Pat met Vicki and their life as a couple began. In 1983 when we all traveled to Tahoe where they tied the knot amid the giant granite boulders overlooking the Lake. Beautiful wedding venue. Over the years Pat was a wonderful big brother to me, incredibly supportive. I could always complain about Bob to him in confidence. Bob and Pat would talk daily, they jogged a million miles together, were on city league basketball teams together and coaching partners. When they got older the jogging had to turn into walks with the dogs. Pat was always good and went with Bob on fishing trips and track meets and make sure as they got older to be Bob’s caretaker on those trips. This always put me at ease. The really bad stuff was when they watched Cal play football or basketball together. They would yell and throw things and swear they would never watch another game again. That lasted till the next televised game was on. I think they thought that Cal would do better with their coaching and yelling. I usually went shopping. The dogs hid in a closet. Pat was Bob’s therapist and Bob was Pat’s. Their calls were their therapy, helping them work on their marriages and their parenting. Pat was an Ellsberg and they are all stubborn and sometimes difficult to deal with and sometime he and I would fight like married couples do. But we always seamed to work it out. And if you ever needed to find a good deal, just ask Pat and he would research the hell out of it for you. Last year when Bob had his heart attack, I called Pat numerous times on my trip to Portland in the bad weather and he was there to talk me though the trip. He got there before me and was able to assure me that Bob was still hanging in there. That was a very scarry for me and Pat was so supportive. Pat was the 2nd most important man in my adult life, and I will miss him terribly, if and when I can come to terms that he is really gone, don’t know when that will ever be. Pat, I will love you and miss you always!!!!!!!!!!!!!