Patrick Byron Chew was born Oct 12, 1952 in Woodbury, NJ to William and Margaret. He went home to Glassboro to join his siblings Michael, Lori Haynes, and William Jr (Teri). These siblings and his younger brother, Robin (Cristy), all survive him.
The family lived in Batavia, IL and then in Worthington, OH where Patrick lettered in wrestling and football. When they moved to Claremont, CA, he continued wrestling and graduated in 1971. He received a full-ride scholarship to wrestle for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. At Poly, he was third alternate for the U.S. wrestling team for the 1972 Olympics. After crushing his shoulder, he lost his scholarship and looked into many studies, finally choosing Speech Rhetoric. He played many leading roles and developed a love for the theatre. He graduated in 1975 and received his MFA in Dramatic Arts from UC Davis in 1978.
At Davis, he helped start the Davis Performing Arts center which provided arts education for children as a result of school funding cuts. He acted at Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts several summers and met his wife, Nancy, in 1980. Their honeymoon was working for Western Stage of Hartnell, summer of 1983. With friends, they created a non-profit, Pacific Stage Company, and produced drama and dance in Pleasanton, Livermore, and Santa Cruz, CA.
Patrick worked off and on for Centaur Manufacturing (his parent’s business) producing ABS DWV pipe. When his brother, Michael, bought the company in 1986 Patrick became general manager of Phoenix Pipe until the business closed.
Patrick taught at UC, Santa Cruz Theatre Department and received “Favorite Professor Award” in 1991. From 1994 – 2002 he worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, in Ashland, OR, as an engineer and carpenter, with world renowned designers. During his last year, he also acted in the world premiere of “Handler”. Patrick also taught in the Theater Department of Southern Oregon University from 1999 – 2002. In 1995 he was ordained through the First Christian’s Essene Church. He loved performing weddings.
Moving to Brookings, OR in 2003 because of Nancy’s teaching position, Patrick began working for Zia Dream Homes and became their in-house architectural designer. Over 70 projects were built in Curry County using his designs. When Zia Dream Homes closed, Patrick started his own company, Creative Touch Designs. Patrick helped create the Brookings-Harbor Education Foundation, to fund educational opportunities in Curry County, and was the founding President of the Board of Directors. He received a MAT from Southern Oregon University in 2014.
In 2019 Patrick and Nancy returned to the southern Oregon valley to be nearer their three children, Ben (Jennifer), Katherine (Tim), and Sarah (Brian) who all survive Patrick. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Pattison Chew, all of his siblings (as mentioned above), his nephews Stephen Chew and Andrew Haynes, and nieces Jennifer Haynes and Mary, Danica and Feliciana Chew. In addition, he is survived by his siblings-in-law Liann Cooper, Alissa Pattison, and James Pattison and their children.
A memorial is being planned for October 9th in Ashland, OR. In lieu of flowers the family asks that tax-deductible donations be made in Patrick’s name to the Brookings-Harbor Education Foundation, P.O. Box 4292, Brookings, OR 97415.
