Patricia "Patti" Maureen Vargas' Obituary
Patricia “Patti” Maureen Vargas was born on July 8, 1948, in White Fish, Montana. She passed away on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in Rogers, Arkansas. Patti was the beloved daughter of Joseph and Peggy Brennan of Olympia, Washington. Patti is survived by her loving husband Herman Vargas, her sister Mary Brennan and her God Children Casey and Chaunteil Carte.
A memorial was held for Patti in Arkansas shortly after her passing, but a second memorial is being held on June 23, 2026 at Mountain View Funeral Home and Memorial Park 4100 Steilacoom Blvd., Lakewood, Washington. The second memorial will allow Patti’s Pacific Northwest friends and family, who were unable to attend the Arkansas service, to pay their last respects and join us in celebrating Patti’s life. Patti will be inurned at Mountain View and a brief placement ceremony will be held at the niche site immediately after the memorial.
Patti grew up in Washington, and it was in the Olympia area where she and Herman met and started their 42-year marriage and life together. Although Patti and Herman have not lived in the area for over 30 years, both have always considered Washington home. Patti’s memorial in Lakewood not only represents her long-awaited return home, but with her inurnment will be Patti’s final resting place.
As a young child Patti and her family moved to Colfax Washington, where she and Mary attended elementary school. Patti and her family briefly lived in Seattle but finally established roots in Olympia. Patti graduated from Olympia High School and received her BA in Accounting from Evergreen State College. Patti’s professional career included holding various financial and accounting management roles in both the private and public sectors in Washington and California.
In June 1984, she married Herman “the love of her life”. Before her passing, Patti and Herman were preparing to mark their 42nd wedding anniversary with a road trip to Washington this summer. Herman fulfilled that trip by taking the long drive to deliver Patti’s remains to Washington.
Herman’s career took Patti first to Southern California and then to North Carolina, before finally settling in Northwest Arkansas in 2007. Although Patti loved the beaches and sun of California, and living in Mooresville, North Carolina, the home of NASCAR racing, she considered her home of 18 years in Arkansas almost perfect. She rejected the idea of relocating back to Washington and was determined to spend the rest of her life in the home where she and Herman prospered in Northwest Arkansas. She had ample room for her library and art studio, as well as a large enough yard space for her dogs to run and exercise. Patti enjoyed the solitude of being surrounded by tall trees and having herds of deer graze
on her front lawn. Patti loved watching from the bedroom window the many birds and squirrels that constantly congregated around the bird feeder. Living 2000 miles away from Washington, however, did have its drawbacks, so Patti enjoyed her long conversations with her best friend Nancy and talking dog pedigrees for hours with her fellow German Shepherd lover Cindy. On those calls with Nancy, Cindy and others, you could often hear Patti’s laughter from the other room.
As an aspiring artist, Patti saw beauty in almost everything from blossoming orchids to Chinese tapestry. Due to her dietary restrictions, Patti poured over endless cookbooks in search of healthy meals that she could cook for herself and Herman. However, Patti's primary passion was her commitment to enhancing the quality and development of the German Shepherd breed. From those efforts, she was able to befriend fellow breed enthusiasts from around the world. Many of whom have shared their heartfelt condolences since her passing. Patti’s last trip was to Kansas to watch her good friend Paul judge a dog trial. Patti always had a big smile on her face whenever she was able to attend a dog event especially if a dog she bred was entered in the competition.
Patti was not only Herman’s wife, companion, and lover, but as inscribed on her urn his “best friend”. They were inseparable. The green color of Patti’s urn was selected to honor her strong Irish heritage. For the many who have known and loved her, Patti’s warm smile, uplifting personality, and infectious laugh will be greatly missed.
We love you Patti, may you rest in peace.
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