Borrego Sun - Since 1949

On late Friday evening, February 17, 2023, Patricia Anne Dupont, passed away while in the hospital after a three week stay. This was after undergoing surgery, at the CCH Hillcrest Hospital, in Mayfield, in the Greater Cleveland area, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She had entered the hospital on Monday afternoon, January 30, 2023; for abdominal surgery, scheduled for that afternoon. She was in this hospital for 19 days.

Patti, as she was known to her family and friends, was born on July 4th, 1943, to John Adkinson Dowie and Adele Agnes Dowie, in Hempstead, Nassau County at Hempstead General Hospital, Long Island, New York. Her first home, growing up in valley Stream, Nassau County. She is survived by her two daughters, Tracy Anne and Tammie Adele; as well as six grandchildren: Adele Lynne, Jena, Hayden Ryan, Davyn Jacob, Kristopher Paul, Aric Michael. In addition, there are four great grandchildren: Riley, Brooklyn, Lydia, Braxton. Patti is survived by her husband of 32 years, Charles Edward Dupont, who was her life companion.

Patti was a licensed Professional Barber in the state of California for over 45 years. She worked in the City of San Diego, the City of Imperial Beach in South Bay San Diego County, and up in the town of Julian, San Diego East County back country mountain area. She worked cutting hair for men, women, children, military personnel, and families. While attending and graduating from united Barber College in downtown City of San Diego on 5th Avenue between Broadway and Market Street, she learned her trade and did her apprenticeship, in the years 1975 – 76; that would go on to be her working life and enabled her to support herself; and give her the ability to raise her two daughters.

Initially she worked in barber shops in the Cities of the South Bay area of San Diego County. At some point during her apprenticeship, she also drove a taxicab at night in the City of San Diego and South Bay. During which, she had several hair-raising experiences with cab fares gone bad; whereby she had to flash a distress signal to police cruisers, to get out of a jam. The village Barbershop in the City of Imperial Beach, at Palm Avenue and 9th Street, in the IGA Big Bear Shopping mall offered her a secure place of employment and a stable future. It was here that she worked for many years, with a very wide and diverse customer base of civilian, family and military clients at the shop she worked in, this being the time period from 1976 through 1999, and for some further time after as needed. She bought this shop in the 1985-time frame, from the then owner. In 1992 she and her husband relocated to Julian, CA; and she continued to work at the village barber shop, commuting from and back to Julian each workday. In May,1994, she opened her own two-chair barber shop in the south outskirts of Julian, on California State Highway 79 South at 3704, in the old Mosler Fruit Stand Bldg., which was re-flagged as the Julian Trading Post by subsequent owners. Patti continued her craft cutting hair at this very same location from when she first opened her shop in May 1994 until September 2017; when she had to close it. She operated this shop for 23 years. She very deeply loved all of her customers, who came from many places all around East County San Diego Communities both in back country and in more developed communities such as: Julian, Shelter valley, Descanso, Santa Ysabel, Lake Cuyamaca, Eagle Peak, Ranchette, Lake Henshaw, Mt. Laguna.

Because of the recurring wild range fires which then were sweeping thru the San Diego County Back Country, now every year and with greater frequency, more numerous locations each succeeding year, including the property on which she and her family lived; it became necessary to move out of the area of Shelter Earthquake Valley; which was her family home since October 2000. She and husband sold their home and relocated to the ranch home of close friends Blake and Valerie, for the summer. She and her family decided to move to a different place. So, the last week in September 2017, they loaded up all of their remaining possessions in a moving van and set out to make the drive to Abilene, Texas and the small town to the south of it, Buffalo Gap, where Patti’s elder daughter lived. There in a mountain plateau town surrounded by long terrace hills, the other branch of the family: the elder daughter Tracy, and her daughter and granddaughter awaited their arrival. And a new chapter of adventures and challenges lay in wait. When Patti was younger, in her early twenties, she enrolled in a professional photography course, at the Gerard Photography School in New York City, in 1961-63. She graduated the course and then took a job as a professional medical photographer at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, for two years. In February 1964 Patti’s Mother passed away due to illness. At the very end of that year, Patti married Larry 011ivier. They then immediately traveled to San Diego, CA, in January 1965, where Larry started a new job with a new defense contractor, Cubic Corporation. In the next two years Patti had her two children: Tracy in 1966, and two years later, her second, Tammie. Patti was a mother and child caregiver to her two daughters for the next two decades.

Much later on during the last week in December 1979, Patti met a Navy officer stationed in San Diego. Her life then took on a wandering turn into a long, strange journey of adventure; both in and after the active and reserve naval service of Charlie E. Dupont, who later became her lawfully wedded husband, in March 1991. We made it work for 32 years, and some before and after. Me, I am that guy. We all miss her deeply, every day.

Some of Patti’s most telling personal characteristics are her love for horses, mules, donkeys, dogs, cats, wild birds in nature, and all sorts of animals. She was willing to help everyone she met; and was very generous to family, friends, customers, and strangers. Never knew a stranger; after she met someone. She loved Native American Culture. Became a part time Belly Dancer with the troupe in Julian -Santa Ysabel. Performed in the Julian stage play - the Annual Melodrama for three years. She appreciated and loved all forms and styles of music. She Loved to travel and explore, everywhere and anywhere; locally, around the country of the whole U.S.A. and to faraway places such as Iceland. Patti had empathy for all; and was a very spiritual person with a very broad knowledge and set of beliefs for traditional and other religious spiritual beliefs. But she was not limited in her vision and scope, and in her ability to feel and understand what others experienced and felt. She was not a saint nor a plaster statue, but she was a very good person, a real and good woman and a very good friend. And she was Fearless. very much so. I know this all to be true. A bit later, I came to realize that she was my Guardian Angel here on this Earth. You are very much loved and missed by all who know and know you.

Online condolences and memories may be left for the family in Patti’s guest book at http://www.WaiteFuneralHome.com.