Joan Patricia Walker (Pat)

Joan Patricia Walker (Pat) (1937~2017) passed away peacefully on May 11, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She was preceded in death by her husband and soul mate Rodney Walker, her parents (Carlos and Katherine Seegmiller, her brother Carlos Seegmiller Jr. and her grandson Caleb Van De Graaf.
She is survived by the 5 children of her first husband, John: John Patrick Van De Graaff (Michelle), James Davis Van De Graaff (Rivka), Peter Dirk Van De Graaff (Kathleen), Nathan Van De Graaff (Wendy), Janet Katherine Van De Graaff (Bob), 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, her brother Steven Milton Seegmiller.
Pat grew up in Ogden, Utah and graduated from Ogden High School as Student Vice President in 1955. She married her first husband, John Van De Graaff, and moved to the Chicago area where they raised their family. In 1987, she returned to the Wasatch Mountains to start her new life.
She attended Weber College from 1955 to 1956 where she was voted “Friendliest Girl” and served as a student body officer. She graduated from Northeastern University in Chicago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and obtained a second Bachelor’s Degree in Theater from Brigham Young University.
Pat worked for the Utah Office of Vocational Rehabilitation helping many find employment. From 2010 to 2012 she served a senior mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines-Dagupan Mission as an employment specialist. She dearly loved that experience and treasured her time working with the Filipino people.
As the daughter of a deaf father, mother of a deaf son and wife of a wonderful leader in the deaf community, Pat dedicated her life to working with the hearing impaired. She worked as an ASL interpreter in Chicago and Salt Lake City, served a second mission as an interpreter at the LDS Family History Department and was a temple worker for the deaf in the Salt Lake City Temple for many years.
Pat had an extraordinary ability to serve others, and she was a very caring and social person. Wherever she went she was loved, appreciated and always ready with a smile and word of encouragement. She will be dearly missed by the many, many people whose lives she has touched.
A viewing will be held on Friday, May 19th at Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary at 4670 S Highland Dr., Holladay from 6:00-8:00 pm.
The funeral will be held at Park Stake Activity Center, 742 S 800 E, Salt Lake City, at 10:00 am. A viewing will also be held from 8:30 to 9:30 am prior to the funeral service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ned C. Wheeler Scholarship Foundation For The Deaf. Donations can be made through: https://greatnonprofits.org/org/ned-c-wheeler-scholarship-foundation-for-the-deaf
Memories may be shared at www.memorialutah.com
Service Information
Viewing May 19, 2017 at 6:00-8:00 PM
Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Motuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay, Utah 84117





Viewing May 20, 2017 at 8:30-9:30 AM
Park Stake Activity Center, 740 South 800 East, SLC, Utah





Funeral Service
May 20, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Park Stake Activity Center, 740 South 800 East, SLC, Utah