Patricia Jean Cumpton-Fazekas

The Life and Legacy of Patricia Jean Cumpton-Fazekas

Patricia Jean Cumpton-Fazekas was born on March 10th, 1939, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Washington to parents Ella Walli and Arthur Schumacher. Neither Ella nor Arthur would realize it at the time, but the child they had just gifted to the world would live a full life where she would offer love, grace, and compassion to the community and family that she loved so deeply. Known by those closest to her as Pat, she went home to be with the Lord she loved dearly on April 15th, 2024.

It must be said that it is everything that happened in between which tells the story of Pat and why she is missed so dearly. The story of Pat’s family began with meeting her first love, Dale Cumpton. Dale and Pat married on February 17th, 1956. With the birth of Jess, a newfound family was born, and Kelly, Rhonda, Gary, Casey, and Anita would round out the household she loved so dear. It wasn’t always easy as life could be tough, but love was never in short supply. She loved her children.

Pat was never one to sit still and this led her to eventually take a job in hospitality at Sacred Heart Hospital, the very place where her life began. For over 15 years she took pride in every task, whether that was cleaning any room in case it should be needed or restocking the Emergency Room. She took pride in order and structure and that was evident in every aspect of her work. She added beauty even when others couldn’t see it and it was contagious.

After her beloved husband of 37 years, death in 1993, her time at Sacred Heart came to an end. Sojourning through this next season of life, by the grace of God she was gifted another, who was himself, navigating a second season of life. Pat was attending Spokane Community College where she was earning her degree in Chemical Dependency and Counseling. Pat never wasted a life experience. She poured her own into others as she embraced the call of Jesus to love your neighbor as you would love yourself.

There she met Thomas Fazekas, and they were married on June 15th, 1996. Together they spent their time at their beloved home on Deer Lake where children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins would forge bonds on the water that would last a lifetime. Even today, the family that spent time on the waters of Deer Lake, continue to bond and hold those memories dear.

In her professional life as a newfound counselor, she would take up employment with The Salvation Army and would embody the organization’s spirit to do the most good, to the most people, in the most need. She found salvation and wasted no time pouring it into others. All the while, she cared for her mother Ella, brother Jerry and her father-in-law Ralph with great love and compassion until the end of their lives. Some might use the phrase “caregiving” to describe those years taking care of others, but Pat would just call it loving others the way Jesus would want her to. She took pride in every moment that she spent with Ella, Jerry and Ralph because she truly loved them.

As for her and Tom, Grace Church in Deer Park became their loving church family. In keeping with her gifts, she took joy in bringing beauty to the church and teaching the next generation to do the same. She served the church for as long as she was able until the passing of her beloved Tom in June of 2018, after 22 years of marriage.

The next chapter of Pat’s story would see her move in with her daughter, Anita, where she cherished every moment with family. Laughing and loving with now grown children, dispensing wisdom to grandchildren, and even teaching great-grandchildren how to bake her beloved cookies. Pat served her family until her time to join the Lord was near. She didn’t waste a minute of it. Her final months and days were spent in the care of the staff of Royal Park Rehabilitation and the love she often gave to her family was extended to the staff who cared for Pat with grace and dignity.

She was blessed to spend her 85th birthday with her entire family and though health was a struggle, she didn’t hesitate to exhort the truth to her family. Love God. Love Jesus. Embrace the freedom that set her free. Pat loved the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it marked every action she took in the years she had remaining with her family.  Having officially been baptized in 2001, she spent the next two decades of her life exhorting others to understand this reality made clear in the simplest of Bible tunes, “Jesus loves you, this I know.”

She was never ashamed of the gospel and spoke as much to her family. Understanding the ups and downs of life, the sorrows we all experience, she remained in love with her savior, Jesus. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” Pat believed. She believed and exhorted her family to have faith, hope, and most importantly, love.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents Ella Walli, Arthur Schumacher, siblings Jerry Schumacher and Vera Amaro, husbands Dale Cumpton and Thomas Fazekas, son Kelly Cumpton, granddaughter Anela Coll and great-grandson Chase Rossi Jr.

She is survived by her children Jess (Paula) Cumpton, Rhonda Cumpton, Gary (Gizela) Cumpton, Casey (Sara) Cumpton, Anita Cumpton. 21 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and beyond. Not all will be old enough to remember, but everyone has reason to thank the Lord for her. 

Most importantly, Pat loved them all. She ran the race and fought the good fight. After it all, she loved her family with a fierce passion in the name of Jesus. Pat is the matriarch of a family who was blessed to call her mom, grandmom, great grandmother and beyond. Pat lived, loved, and believed for them all.  A Memorial Service and Reception is scheduled for Friday, May 3, 2024; 12:00 P.M. at Hennessey Valley Funeral Home in Spokane Valley, WA.  To leave condolences for the family, please visit Pat's Tribute Wall.