Patricia Marie (Owen) Johnson

May 26, 1950 – September 5, 2025

Pat Johnson passed away on September 5, 2025 in Puyallup.

Pat was born in Enumclaw to Leonard and Jeanne Owen on May 26, 1950 and was raised with her two brothers Chuck and Al Owen of Buckley. She graduated from White River High School in 1968 and married Kirk Johnson a year later, moving to New Jersey for four years before returning to the Northwest. Pat was the mother of two children, Jim and Karen. In 1978 she completed her Dental Assistant Certification and began an over 25 year career in the dental industry.

In 1985 Pat and family returned to Buckley. She quickly became involved in community affairs, joining the Planning Commission, followed by the City Council (14 years) and eventually Mayor of Buckley (16 years). Pat was the first elected female Mayor of Buckley proudly serving from 2006 thru 2021. She represented Buckley at the state level serving as President of the Association of Washington Cities and testifying multiple times before the Washington Legislature advocating for small towns and their people.

Pat loved the outdoors. She was an avid skier, hiker, and trails advocate (Board Member for Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition). She spent many mornings hiking Mt. Peak and local trails with her friends. Pat’s frequent trips to Yellowstone were an especially happy time for her. She also enjoyed baking for family, friends, and fund raisers.

She is survived by her husband, children, brothers, cousins and grandson (Wyatt).

A celebration of life will be held at the Buckley Eagles on Sunday October 12th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the charity or organization of your choice.