Patricia Ann Hendryx Portland, Oregon Obituary

Patricia Ann Hendryx

<p>In loving memory of Patrica Hendryx</p><p><br></p><p>Patricia Doersch Hendryx was born January 28, 1926 in Tacoma, Washington. Her parents, Floyd and Josephine Doersch and their son Donald (an infant), moved to the Portland area due to her father’s job transfer by his firm, Western Electric. The family settled in Milwaukie when he was again transferred to Clackamas County. The young couple quickly became active in the community life with Mr. Doersch’s athletic excellence and his outgoing personality. He used to take young Pat upon his shoulders and take her deep into the Oregon forests. He established a businessman’s softball league which played weekly in downtown Milwaukie and it became an immensely popular occasion in the depression era small town.</p><p><br></p><p>Their neighborhood was filled with children about the same age, though Patricia was the youngest and when school opened and they all went to first grade, Patricia was left behind as she was just five. She threw such tantrums her parents contacted the principal who acquiesced and admitted her to grammar school, where she competed extremely well and was a good and happy student … doing very well in her classes and performing and singing in school plays etc. One January night in 1936 Mr. Doersch left for his weekly game of volleyball with the Oregon City businessman’s team and tragedy struck while, in play of the game, he suffered a heart attack and died instantly as judged by the two physicians also in the game.</p><p><br></p><p>Young Mrs. Doersch was stunned by the news and probably never really recovered from the shock of this loss. However, as a highly intelligent and capable woman she used the insurance money to buy a business (Milwaukie Beauty Parlor), build a home for her family and attend beauty college to pass the necessary tests to establish the business, which became profitable and placed Mrs. Doersch as an established businesswoman who was a model for the other widows and single women with families. She raised Patricia with the idea that a woman needs to be well educated and have a career as she never knows what circumstances she will encounter in life. Her daughter remembered this admonition and fulfilled her dreams.</p><p><br></p><p>Pat graduated from Milwaukie High School as an active student, a member of the National Thespians, a Booster and Mt. Hood ski enthusiast. She graduated from Whitman College with a degree in Social Science, was a member of Delta Gamma and was noted for her productions of “Walla Walla”, a spoof on “Oklahoma”, and the Cave Man Crawl, a sorority dance which featured the Grants Pass Cavemen and was photographed by Life Magazine with huge success. After graduation Pat went to San Francisco with a group of Whitties who longed for a more sophisticated world, and she loved seeing the touring prizewinning plays and the jazz artists who were numerous. She also loved the San Francisco Art Museum where she soaked up exposure to contemporary art. However, the dead-end jobs and climate got to her and she returned to PDX, applying for and getting an appointment with the Clackamas County Welfare Commission as a caseworker…her dream job. While there a friend asked her presence for a job interview with a federal recruiter for Recreational Leaders in Germany, and Pat went along for company. The recruiter offered Pat an application, suggested she apply, and she was offered a job…taking her to Europe and Manhattan, on the way…her dream before marriage and family. A co-worker, Clark Hendryx, offered to connect her with his brother. She and Shirl Hendryx clicked immediately, and she knew she needed to return to New York City ASAP, which she did after fulfilling her requirements.</p><p><br></p><p>Once in Manhattan again destiny offered her many challenges, which she took…applying at Columbia’s New York School of Social Work and getting a job at McCann Erickson advertising agency…a typist entry level job, but within weeks she was offered an assistant art buyer’s job, which she took. She and Shirl Hendryx continued their relationship and were married in November 1960. She then had moved to Look Magazine as an assistant to the art director and subsequently to assistant to Blanch Gaines, a top theatrical and television agent who was Shirl’s agent also. This connection brought her in contact with the high-level theatre world which Mrs. Gaines represented and the opportunity to see many opening theatre events, etc., which she and Shirl attended.</p><p><br></p><p>Mrs. Gaines top writers had moved to Hollywood, and they were beckoning Hendryx to join them. By this time Pat had moved to a social work job with the city, her dream job…but she knew her husband’s career would be enhanced as he was now selling to Hollywood and the major hour shows. They made the move and as a writer’ streak was I progress, Pat went to work at the LA County of Adoptions who recommended for her a child Welfare scholarship to attend USC School of Social Work for her master’s degree…. which she completed in 1963 (to her mother’s great approval). Shirl became a well-established writer in Half-hour shows (Combat for example) and the couple were ready for a family, adopting John Hendryx in 1966. They moved from the Hollywood Hills to Westwood to enjoy their new family life. One of Shirl’s old plays was picked up for a Broadway production and produced negative reviews in January 1970. Pat later learned he had been accompanied in New York by a member of his therapy group (as he had endured depression for many years). With this news and the betrayal Pat ended the marriage, and, of course, had to return to work as a single parent. She involved Shirl extensively in her son’s care and maintained a civil relationship with him for the interest of their son.</p><p><br></p><p>After a satisfying and demanding child welfare career in Los Angeles, Pat retired to Ojai, California, and their art colony, where she was happily accepted into the community. Always retaining an Oregon tie with her childhood and college friends, Pat visited Portland and was struck by the green beauty of her childhood and the new atmosphere of Portland. She made an offer on a condo at RiverPlace which was accepted, returned to Ojai, sold her condo there and returned with her son, now a college grad and Chinese speaking adult. Her childhood friends greeted her warmly and included her in many activities plus introducing her to a widower, Ron Sobottka, who was just the man she was looking for. They became a couple quickly and subsequently domestic partners building a house at the mountain together, traveling extensively to the east coast and Europe, primarily the south of France as independent travelers driving through the countryside. Patricia was very happy to return to the values of her childhood and the happy family life she grew up with. Also, she reconnected with relatives and friends with the same values. He son john, now married to a Chinese girl returned to the US after a successful career in Beijing and they lived at one of Pat’s investment properties until their purchased their home in West Linn. They were blessed with a son, Shaun-Luke after some 20 years of marriage, and in her 80s, Pat was a devoted and active, loving grandmother. Her son John had always remembered the ski trips and Milwaukie holiday visits in Oregon and now spends much time with his son the forests, looking for mushrooms, pinecones etc., a devoted Oregonian. Pat is survived by her son John, wife Lynn and grandson Shaun-Luke; niece Kathy Peterson, nephews Rick Doersch, Mike Doersch and wife Marilyn.</p><p><br></p>
January 28, 1926 - December 15, 202201/28/192612/15/2022
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In loving memory of Patrica Hendryx


Patricia Doersch Hendryx was born January 28, 1926 in Tacoma, Washington. Her parents, Floyd and Josephine Doersch and their son Donald (an infant), moved to the Portland area due to her father’s job transfer by his firm, Western Electric. The family settled in Milwaukie when he was again transferred to Clackamas County. The young couple quickly became active in the community life with Mr. Doersch’s athletic excellence and his outgoing personality. He used to take young Pat upon his shoulders and take her deep into the Oregon forests. He established a businessman’s softball league which played weekly in downtown Milwaukie and it became an immensely popular occasion in the depression era small town.


Their neighborhood was filled with children about the same age, though Patricia was the youngest and when school opened and they all went to first grade, Patricia was left behind as she was just five. She threw such tantrums her parents contacted the principal who acquiesced and admitted her to grammar school, where she competed extremely well and was a good and happy student … doing very well in her classes and performing and singing in school plays etc. One January night in 1936 Mr. Doersch left for his weekly game of volleyball with the Oregon City businessman’s team and tragedy struck while, in play of the game, he suffered a heart attack and died instantly as judged by the two physicians also in the game.


Young Mrs. Doersch was stunned by the news and probably never really recovered from the shock of this loss. However, as a highly intelligent and capable woman she used the insurance money to buy a business (Milwaukie Beauty Parlor), build a home for her family and attend beauty college to pass the necessary tests to establish the business, which became profitable and placed Mrs. Doersch as an established businesswoman who was a model for the other widows and single women with families. She raised Patricia with the idea that a woman needs to be well educated and have a career as she never knows what circumstances she will encounter in life. Her daughter remembered this admonition and fulfilled her dreams.


Pat graduated from Milwaukie High School as an active student, a member of the National Thespians, a Booster and Mt. Hood ski enthusiast. She graduated from Whitman College with a degree in Social Science, was a member of Delta Gamma and was noted for her productions of “Walla Walla”, a spoof on “Oklahoma”, and the Cave Man Crawl, a sorority dance which featured the Grants Pass Cavemen and was photographed by Life Magazine with huge success. After graduation Pat went to San Francisco with a group of Whitties who longed for a more sophisticated world, and she loved seeing the touring prizewinning plays and the jazz artists who were numerous. She also loved the San Francisco Art Museum where she soaked up exposure to contemporary art. However, the dead-end jobs and climate got to her and she returned to PDX, applying for and getting an appointment with the Clackamas County Welfare Commission as a caseworker…her dream job. While there a friend asked her presence for a job interview with a federal recruiter for Recreational Leaders in Germany, and Pat went along for company. The recruiter offered Pat an application, suggested she apply, and she was offered a job…taking her to Europe and Manhattan, on the way…her dream before marriage and family. A co-worker, Clark Hendryx, offered to connect her with his brother. She and Shirl Hendryx clicked immediately, and she knew she needed to return to New York City ASAP, which she did after fulfilling her requirements.


Once in Manhattan again destiny offered her many challenges, which she took…applying at Columbia’s New York School of Social Work and getting a job at McCann Erickson advertising agency…a typist entry level job, but within weeks she was offered an assistant art buyer’s job, which she took. She and Shirl Hendryx continued their relationship and were married in November 1960. She then had moved to Look Magazine as an assistant to the art director and subsequently to assistant to Blanch Gaines, a top theatrical and television agent who was Shirl’s agent also. This connection brought her in contact with the high-level theatre world which Mrs. Gaines represented and the opportunity to see many opening theatre events, etc., which she and Shirl attended.


Mrs. Gaines top writers had moved to Hollywood, and they were beckoning Hendryx to join them. By this time Pat had moved to a social work job with the city, her dream job…but she knew her husband’s career would be enhanced as he was now selling to Hollywood and the major hour shows. They made the move and as a writer’ streak was I progress, Pat went to work at the LA County of Adoptions who recommended for her a child Welfare scholarship to attend USC School of Social Work for her master’s degree…. which she completed in 1963 (to her mother’s great approval). Shirl became a well-established writer in Half-hour shows (Combat for example) and the couple were ready for a family, adopting John Hendryx in 1966. They moved from the Hollywood Hills to Westwood to enjoy their new family life. One of Shirl’s old plays was picked up for a Broadway production and produced negative reviews in January 1970. Pat later learned he had been accompanied in New York by a member of his therapy group (as he had endured depression for many years). With this news and the betrayal Pat ended the marriage, and, of course, had to return to work as a single parent. She involved Shirl extensively in her son’s care and maintained a civil relationship with him for the interest of their son.


After a satisfying and demanding child welfare career in Los Angeles, Pat retired to Ojai, California, and their art colony, where she was happily accepted into the community. Always retaining an Oregon tie with her childhood and college friends, Pat visited Portland and was struck by the green beauty of her childhood and the new atmosphere of Portland. She made an offer on a condo at RiverPlace which was accepted, returned to Ojai, sold her condo there and returned with her son, now a college grad and Chinese speaking adult. Her childhood friends greeted her warmly and included her in many activities plus introducing her to a widower, Ron Sobottka, who was just the man she was looking for. They became a couple quickly and subsequently domestic partners building a house at the mountain together, traveling extensively to the east coast and Europe, primarily the south of France as independent travelers driving through the countryside. Patricia was very happy to return to the values of her childhood and the happy family life she grew up with. Also, she reconnected with relatives and friends with the same values. He son john, now married to a Chinese girl returned to the US after a successful career in Beijing and they lived at one of Pat’s investment properties until their purchased their home in West Linn. They were blessed with a son, Shaun-Luke after some 20 years of marriage, and in her 80s, Pat was a devoted and active, loving grandmother. Her son John had always remembered the ski trips and Milwaukie holiday visits in Oregon and now spends much time with his son the forests, looking for mushrooms, pinecones etc., a devoted Oregonian. Pat is survived by her son John, wife Lynn and grandson Shaun-Luke; niece Kathy Peterson, nephews Rick Doersch, Mike Doersch and wife Marilyn.


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