Patricia "Pat" Gay Ingoldsby's Obituary
Patricia “Pat” Gay Ingoldsby, beloved mother, grandmother, teacher, and adventurer, passed away peacefully on April 4, 2026, at The Ridge Foothill in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was 86 years old and lived a life that was, by every measure, fully and joyfully lived.
Pat was born on December 31, 1939, in Ogden, Utah, where she grew up with a curiosity about the natural world and a warmth toward people that would define everything she did. Over the course of her life, she called many beautiful corners of Utah home - Ogden, Heber, Kamas, Park City, and finally Salt Lake City - always carrying with her a love of the land, the outdoors, and the people lucky enough to be in her orbit.
Pat attended Weber State College and Utah State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a specialization in Science and Physical Education. She went on to spend 42 remarkable years as a teacher and also served as Athletic Director at Saint Joseph High School, a career that touched generations of students across Weber State College, Saint Joseph’s, and the Ogden School District. She had a particular passion for geology and the sciences, and she had a rare gift for sharing that wonder with others in a way that made them love it too. Even in retirement, Pat’s need to stay social and connected led her to work for several years at Deer Valley Ski Resort in the Snow Park Signature Ski Shop, where she was delighted in meeting visitors from all over the world who came to enjoy Park City.
Outside the classroom, Pat was as alive as anyone could be. She fished, often at her beloved Pass Lake in the Uintah Mountains, hiked, camped, snowmobiled, skied, and traveled the world with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm. She visited every continent on the planet, with Africa holding a special place in her heart. She was a proud member of the Lady’s Angle Fishing Society and a fierce advocate for rescue animals throughout her life, sharing her home and her heart with dogs Boots, Lady, Brandy, Sadie, Cassie, Odie, and Kirby, and her cat Morris.
But as wide as Pat’s world was, her family was always the center of it. She was most proud of her three children and the family they built, and rightfully so. She was a wonderful host, always ready to open her home for the holidays, always making sure everyone had fun, always finding a way to make the people around her feel seen, understood, and cared for. Nobody was a stranger to Pat. She had an easy, playful, lighthearted sense of humor and a smile so warm and inviting that people were drawn to her without even knowing why. She had a way of making a friend out of anyone she met.
Those who knew her will remember her adventurous spirit, her generosity with knowledge, and her genuine love of sharing the places and things she found beautiful, whether that was a mountain trail, a geologic formation, or a far-off corner of the world. And they will remember her saying, with that characteristic smile at the end of a long, full day: “Bed sure is gonna feel good tonight.”
Pat is survived by her children Greg Ingoldsby (Jennifer), Matt Ingoldsby, and Laurie Hopkins (Jimmy); her grandchildren Shawnee Ingoldsby, Cory Ingoldsby, Elle Hopkins, Jimmer Hopkins, Indi Ingoldsby, and Bodhi Ingoldsby; her great-granddaughter Ariah Foster; and many other beloved loved ones and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Kenneth and Maxine Berger (Higginson), and her siblings Fred Berger and Maxine Allison.
In keeping with Pat’s wishes, she will be cremated. Her children will each keep a portion of her ashes, and the rest will be scattered across the places she loved most, alongside the ashes of the pets who meant so much to her throughout her life.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Best Friends Animal Society or the World Wildlife Fund, two causes that reflect Pat’s lifelong devotion to animals and the natural world. Flowers are also welcome.
Celebration of Life
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
The Ridge Foothill | 2363 S Foothill Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Come ready to share a memory, a laugh, and a fishing story. That’s exactly how Pat would have wanted it.
What’s your fondest memory of Patricia "Pat"?
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