Patricia Garland

She had a trip booked to play with loved ones on the Oregon shore, but Heaven must have needed her just a little bit more.

Pat was born at the old St. Mary’s Hospital on 11th and Colorado in Grand Junction, Colorado. She spent her early elementary years there before moving to Sacramento, California with her family. It was in Sacramento that she became a young mom to Stephanie and Leon and always said that she grew up with them. While raising her children, she attended community college and majored in Horticulture. She prided herself on knowing all the botanical names of the 100 or more trees at the Sacramento Capital Park. During her time in Sacramento, her primary modes of transportation were a Triumph motorcycle and a 10-speed bicycle.

It was in Sacramento where Pat met her husband, Richard. They officially began their love story in 1984. In 1985, Pat’s brother was in a motorcycle accident, and she returned to Grand Junction to care for him. When Richard eventually came to Grand Junction to bring her back home with him, she asked him to relocate to Grand Junction with her. He said yes! They just celebrated their 41st anniversary this August.

Pat had so many jobs that she loved. She worked for Lagomarsino Seed Company in Sacramento, she started her own cleaning company with Richard upon returning to Grand Junction, she taught skating lessons and was a floor guard at Rainbow Roller Rink and she delivered auto parts, photos, and flowers. She was a school bus driver; the kids gave her a huge party and trophy for being the best driver ever. She got certified to teach exercise and volunteered at the St. Mary’s Wellness center. It was speaking about her time as a Master Gardner in the Tri River Extension office, though, that she would beam with pride. It was during this time that she was instrumental in educating the community about composting. She would lead school bus field trips to the landfill and teachers would request her to come into the classroom with her worms to teach about composting. This led to her affectionately being known as the “worm lady”.

She got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association when her mom became ill. She was a support group leader, organizer, and awarded Volunteer of the Year. Most importantly, this group became close friends and are known today as the Ya Yas.

Her most touching jobs would be her last ones. First, she started her own company for young adults with disabilities and named it Just for the Fun of It. “The Group” would get together for activities and crafts. After a few years, bowling every other week became all that was needed. Everyone, including Richard and parents, became family and needed to get together Just for the Fun of It. Second, she was a caregiver to her dear friend, Monte, and coworker to his wife Elizabeth.

Pat was always the life of the party or planning the party. She always had a pot of coffee ready to go. She loved gardening, grew some of the most beautiful flowers, shared bouquets from her garden with many and gave advice on how to fix your garden. If you went on a drive with her, she always had an alternative route and wanted to show you what Richard’s job site progress was. She loved to exercise with Mary and got her steps daily. She loved a good tune – especially rock and roll. She was never too busy to talk to you. She kept everyone informed about the family events and enjoyed talking to her brother, Don, and bestie, Mike, every day. She prided herself on getting to drive an Army tank as well as winning 1st place in the Ladies Bobcat mini excavation competition where she represented Sorter Construction (Richard’s employer).

She was such a fun grandma and aunt. Her grandkids, nieces, and nephews adored her; she loved them all so much. She was blessed with a bonus daughter and said that April was the missing puzzle piece and made our family complete. She had so many that considered her a second mom.

Pat peacefully passed away at home on Tuesday, August 26, after a short battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, Richard Trujillo, her children Stephanie (Dave) Mercer, Steven “Leon” (Melanie) Forcum, and April (Paul) Fryer, her sister Katy (Bill), her sisters-in-law, Ronda (Alan) and Tracy, brothers John, Don (Valerie), Max (Elizabeth), and Dan, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends.

Because she wanted this to be fun and wasn’t able to have a retirement party – there will be a Just for the Fun of It Retirement from Life celebration in memory of Pat Garland at Rocket Park, 1827 N 26th St, Grand Junction, Colorado, on October 4, 2025, from 2 to 4. Cookies and ice cream will be served. Please bring a lawn chair, your favorite memory to share, and wear bright colors or tie-dye in memory of Pat. In lieu of flowers, please plant a seed and watch it grow or donate to Hope West Grand Junction in her memory.