July 27, 2014 - Dec. 6, 1953
Pat Houghton, 60, passed away after a short struggle with kidney cancer at his home in Vancouver, WA, on July 27, 2014. He was born December 6, 1953, in Carson City, NV, to James Vincent and Joan Houghton (nee Brown). He is survived by his loving wife of 15 years, Judith Ann Gordon; twin brother Roy and his wife Pamela Houghton of Carson City; older brother Peter of Thailand; niece Sarah and her husband Josh Billings and their children of Carson City; nephew Adam Houghton and his wife Anna of Reno, NV; niece Elise McClain, U.S. Army, Tampa, FL and her children; nephew David Eagle of Noxon, MT; mother-in-law Naomi Gordon of Neptune, NJ; and sister-in-law Danielle Gordon of Princeton, NJ. Pat was an outgoing, gregarious man, and avid baseball fan. He loved the outdoors and spent time cross-country skiing. He graduated from Carson High School in 1971 and attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. His love of the outdoors lead him to work involving natural resources: at both McMurdo and South Pole Stations in Antarctica unloading C-130s; with the California Ecology Corps on the Pacific Crest Trail; in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Sport Fish and Habitat Divisions; and in wildfire management for Alaska Fire Service and the interagency Northwest Coordination Center in Portland, OR. After leaving the Northwest Coordination Center in 2007, he volunteered for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, then the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Visitors Center until his death. A celebration of life will be held on September 27 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The local memorial will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Carson City, NV, at 2 pm on October 4, 2014. Donations may be made to the Oregon Humane Society in honor of Patrick, who was a lover of animals and nature.
