Patti McBain Obituary

Patti Sue McBain, of Covington, Washington, passed away August 3, 2023. She was born in Springfield, Illinois July 7,1942 to parents Joseph and Dora Rimsay. She passed away in Valley Medical Center Hospital where she died peacefully in her sleep. She was lovingly cared for by all members of the hospital staff. She was loved by everyone in her family and is much missed.

"A beautiful soul"

Patti was Ashkenazi Jewish and proud of her heritage, attending services in the synagogue in Springfield where her father Joseph taught Hebrew. Her mother Dora Podolsky emigrated from Ukraine at the age of 12 to Chicago, Illinois and became a US citizen.

Patti moved from Springfield, Illinois to Chicago when she was 18, where a number of her relatives lived, including her mother's brother Morris Podolsky and his wife Anna. There she met Raphael McBain, also Ashkenazi Jewish, who proposed to her one snowy evening by the lake in Springfield. She accepted and they were married for over 59 years.

Patti played classical piano and was a talented singer but, being shy, never sought to perform professionally. She was also a talented artist, employed by the University of Chicago. Numbers fascinated her; she felt the number 7 was important in her life.

She was passionate and loving and was loved by all who got to know her. She was very compassionate, loved people, loved music. She had strong opinions about civil rights, including a woman's right to control her own body and justice and healthcare for everyone. She loved children and was once employed as a teacher of special needs children, at which she excelled.

Patti was preceded in death by her only brother, Bob, whom she loved dearly, in Toronto, Canada and by her mother and father. She is survived by her husband Raphael, a retired engineer, and by her son Michael McBain, MD and her daughter Debra McBain, a mental health counselor. Patti is also survived by three grandchildren, whom she loved dearly, Tiana, Avery and Zahra.

Patti was buried in the Jewish tradition a few days after her death in Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath Cemetery in north Seattle, with her husband and children and Rabbi Shmuly Gurary, among others, in attendance. Her memorial service was held at the cemetery at the time of her burial. She is remembered with much love and more than a touch of sadness.

The photo shows her external beauty when she was a young woman. Her internal beauty is unsurpassed.