Pat Zimmer

Pat found Trinity in 1989 when she joined the Choir. Raised a Catholic, Pat grew up loving the little prayer books and white dresses and veils at First Communion, the quiet convent that smelled of oranges where she took piano lessons, the month of May with its altars to Mary. But that didn’t really sustain itself after adolescence. In her 20s, Pat found spirituality singing in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Bernstein’s Mass and backpacking in the mountains. On joining the Trinity Choir, though, the incredible wealth of sacred music inspired a huge new appreciation for scripture and the meaning of the Christian liturgy. She was received into the Episcopal Church in 2010 after completing Catechesis.

Pat and Rick, her husband of 35 years, raised two girls at Trinity. The girls were acolytes and Choristers, they travelled to Honduras and Nicaragua with the youth group. The oldest continues to help manage the daycare at Trinity on Sundays, bringing her own 3-year-old daughter with her. The younger is in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career.

Pat retired from the Choir in 2018 after 30 years. With retirement, she’s found the time and calling to immerse herself in Trinity’s contemplative life – the weekly Centering Prayer group, the contemplative mini-retreats, and teaching Wednesday night classes that seek to find the Spirit in nature writing and chanting. She was on the Music Commission, has spearheaded the Family Promise outreach at Trinity with the Houselessness Task Force, and currently chairs the Spiritual Formation Commission.

Pat retired from Bonneville Power Administration in 2016 after 35 years working in public relations, management development and program administration. She has a BA in Music and an MA in Journalism from the University of Oregon. She and Rick recently moved to a home in Rhododendron where they have 3 acres, a greenhouse and a view of Zigzag Mountain. They continue to come into the city two or three times a week to pursue interests in church, community, friends and volunteer work. In May of 2023, they walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago.