Patricia Moritz, longtime Petaluma DMV employee

Patricia “Pat” Moritz was smart, organized, warm-hearted and ready with a sharp wit - all attributes that made her a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and big sister, friends and family members said. Her personality also served her well in her 20 years working at the Petaluma office of the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

“We used to beg her to write a book on some of the things she was asked,” said her sister Nora Wineberg of San Francisco. “She rolled her eyes at some things but she never turned into a mean DMV person. She just sort of figured there are a lot of different people out there. She was incredibly compassionate and believed in being fair.”

Moritz, 70, died July 2 at her Cotati home with family members at her side. She’d been diagnosed with cancer late last year, Wineberg said.

Patricia Ann Nolan was born and raised in Hollywood. With family members working in what was then called the “motion picture business,” she developed a lifelong love of films. That always meant a busy winter fitting in the Oscar-nominated movies and many weekend matinees throughout the years with her grandchildren, her sister said.

Eventually, she was the big sister to five other siblings born to Bill and Joan Nolan.

During the 1950s, the family moved to the San Fernando Valley. When she was ready for her senior year in high school, her father took a job in San Francisco and the Nolan family moved to Mill Valley. The teen attended Marin Catholic High School, and in one year, she made lifelong friends, Wineberg said.

She attended San Francisco State University but postponed finishing her college degree by taking a job at Pacific Telephone. While living in San Francisco, she met Don Moritz.

They married, had three sons and moved to Petaluma, where they lived almost 40 years.

With her boys in school, Pat Moritz finished her college degree at Sonoma State University and began her career with the DMV. In her years with the department she was a license examiner and conducted driving tests.

Throughout her almost 49 years of marriage, there were many highlights, Wineberg said, including the sports years, when their sons played for Casa Grande and St. Vincent’s teams. Pat Moritz also enjoyed reading, gardening, cooking, traveling with her husband and hosting family gatherings for their extended family.

“She had an amazing ability to just juggle lots of things. She took over Christmas for the family when she had small kids. You knew it had to take a lot of effort. But she never let you see the effort,” Wineberg said.

“A few things people kept saying over and over again was she was so nice and compassionate and wickedly funny. And if you knew her well, you realized how really smart she was,” her sister said.

Pat Moritz retired about seven years ago, and the couple moved to Cotati.

In addition to her sister, Nora Wineberg, and her husband, Don Moritz of Cotati, she is survived by her sons, Bill Moritz of Cotati, Steve Moritz of Santa Rosa and Greg Moritz of Rohnert Park; sisters, Catherine Aydelotte of Fremont, Mary King of Richmond; brother Tim Nolan of Santa Rosa; one grandson; and three granddaughters.

A Mass was celebrated for her July 11 at St. James Catholic Church in Petaluma. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Petaluma.