Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1940 and raised there, Pat still sees herself as “Just a girl from Ohio.” Quickly, from her writing, you learn there is a lot more to this upbeat, confident, and sharp woman. She moved to California as a teen, married at twenty, became a mother at twenty-two, a company co-owner at thirty-one, and its president at forty-five. Pat’s childhood was lonely, sad, and filled with loss. Parented by her emotionally distant father and neglected by her imbalanced mother, Pat’s extended family and paid caregivers provided the sense of belonging needed by a young girl. After finishing high school, she married the boy next door. To their delight, they had a son a few years later. The couple started an injection mold business for the plastics industry. Pat worked almost every position in that company at one time or another, and their business flourished. Her marriage and starting their company filled some missing emotional pieces initially. Still, it proved to repeat many of the pains of her childhood. After twenty-six years of marriage, emotionally battered and seeking a light at the end of the tunnel, Pat divorced her husband. Once sole owner of the company, Pat excelled as its president and grew her reputation in the industry with this multi-million-dollar business. She cracked the glass ceiling and became an esteemed member of the “Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Southern California.” Raising her son and later collaborating with him in the family business are the sources of Pat’s greatest joy. Wherever she is, receptivity to learning characterizes Pat’s outlook. Books, mentors, employees, colleagues, travel, and spiritual wisdom keep her growing. Her purpose, efficiency, and generosity stem from these. Providing leadership, guidance, and loyalty to many individuals and profit and non-profit organizations has been a constant thread throughout her adult life. Pat became an author at eighty-two, writing her stories for others to read. Her first book, Lady You Got Balls, and the latest, Because I Knew You Were Mine, grew out of a daily journal Pat kept since she was sixteen. Documenting the fantastic and the mundane over the years has validated personal growth and facts, honed her storytelling skills, and given fodder to her stories. Pat’s honest, candid, relatable, and humorous accounts reveal a raw journey through emotional anguish, trauma, financial success, and healing. Pat lives with her dog and several visiting friends at her Covina Hills home. She loves spending time with her son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. She plays bridge, travels, and sings in her parish choir. And she still writes in her journal daily.