April 10, 1935 — July 17, 2024
Patty Wixon, 89, passed away peacefully July 17 at home with her children and Vince Wixon, beloved husband for nearly 50 years, by her side.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Orlo and Delight Maughan, brother Peter Maughan and sister Judy Busch. She is survived by her brothers Paul (Karen), David (Cathleen Gleeson), and Lowell Maughan (Linda), sister Sally Kilpatrick, brothers-in-law Tim Busch and Ward Wixon (Maureen).
Patty was born in Spokane, Washington, and later the family moved to Pullman, where her parents taught at Washington State University. As a child she enjoyed family trips to Priest Lake in Idaho, and she became adept at fly fishing. She was a musical student, sang in a select choir, played five different instruments and was selected to play bassoon for the All-Northwest Band. After high school she took college classes for 20 years, finally earning her bachelor’s degree from Western Oregon University and a master’s degree from Reed College.
She was married to Peter G. Stone for 20 years, and her six children were born in five different states because of her husband’s Air Force assignments. She began her career in public school teaching in Oregon, at Perrydale High School in Amity, and then McNary High School in Salem, where she met and married Vince Wixon.
Patty directed the Oregon Writing Project in three school districts across the state, then held administration positions in the Central Point, Eagle Point and Ashland school districts. She also taught writing as adjunct staff at Chemeketa Community College and Western Oregon State University.
Throughout her life she had a deep interest in poetry, and she published four books of her poems. She was an organizing member of the Friends of William Stafford and helped establish the Stafford Archives, housed at Lewis & Clark College. One of her projects was producing 97 CDs of over 40 years of Stafford’s readings, workshops and lectures.
She was on the board of Friends of Hannon Library at Southern Oregon University, and for 20 years she hosted an annual poetry program featuring Oregon Poets Laureate and many poets from the Rogue Valley. For two decades she volunteered as a costume stitcher for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
She organized the International Writers Series in Ashland, an extension of the Mountain Writers Series in Portland. Each school year the series brought well-known writers to give readings in the Rogue Valley and to teach high school students and faculty. After 10 years, the series segued into Chautauqua Poets and Writers, a cultural staple in Ashland, which for 13 years brought nationally known writers into the Rogue Valley. In 2014 Patty and Vince Wixon were awarded the Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award for their contributions to the literary life of Oregon.
Patty was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who had great pride in her family members and was a role model for them. She is survived by her children: Delight Stone (Clifford Curry), Michael Stone (Leslie), Gordon Stone (Gretchen), Beth Pepper (Mike), Larry Stone (Linda), and Eric Stone (Jennifer); 17 grandchildren: Antonia Curry (Dimitri Vietze), Felipe Curry (Cintia), Elliot Stone (Carolyn), Emily Rydbom (Dave), Lindsey Wilkens (Jake), Lucas Stone, Madison Stone, Paige Stone, Trevor Pepper (Maureen McCann), Alyssa Pepper, Leah Pepper, Nick Stone (Caroline), Grant Stone (Macen Bittner), Sam Stone (Megan Hayes), Natalie Dempsey, Sean Dempsey (Eu Fernández de los Ronderos), and Sam Dempsey (Julie Ostapjukova); and seven great-grandchildren: Anisa Vietze, Ezra Vietze, Bruce Stone, Mason Rydbom, Anson Rydbom, Rohn Wilkens, Brooks Wilkens.
Patty was known for her vibrancy, endless curiosity, positive outlook, and quick laugh. She believed every gathering was enhanced by a plate of brownies and every celebration deserved her chocolate truffles. Her main form of exercise was lap swimming, which she did until a few months before her death. She was certain our national democracy will survive under the talented leadership of the next generations.
She asked that those remember her by doing something kind for someone else in her name — from giving food to a homeless stranger to volunteering at an organization in your community or donating to a scholarship fund at a favorite school. Some of the local and state organizations she supported are Ashland Food Bank, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, Chamber Music Concerts at SOU, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Humanities, Friends of William Stafford, Oregon Poetry Association, Ashland Schools Foundation and Ashland Community Health Foundation.
Patty’s final donation was her body for research at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. Patty’s family plans to host a celebratory poetry reading in the fall.
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