Patty Rudolph Fligsten
Patty Rudolph Fligsten, of Santa Barbara, CA, passed away peacefully at her home in Santa Barbara on January 16, 2024 after a very short battle with a brain tumor. She was surrounded by her husband of 57 years, Monte, and their two daughters, Lauren and Kim.
Patty was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on September 27, 1943. She was the fourth of five children of Harvey and Helen Rudolph and was a fourth generation Californian. Patty’s great grandfather, H. S. Rudolph, was the first mayor of Lompoc. Her younger years were spent exploring the neighborhood, playing at the YMCA, and swimming in the ocean. She attended Roosevelt Elementary School and La Cumbre Junior High School. In high school at Santa Barbara High, Patty sang in a cappella choir, was elected to be a song girl, and was a homecoming princess.
After Patty’s high school graduation in 1961, she went on to study at UCSB for a year and then at UCLA where she met the love of her life, Monte Fligsten. During college, she joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she established many deep, life-long friendships. Patty was a summer counselor at Santa Barbara YMCA’s Camp Conrad and Camp Wakanda and at UCLA’s UniCamp, a camp for underprivileged youth from Los Angeles. She sang in UCLA’s Spring Sing with the “TenAvUm” whose members were primarily Thetas and ZBTs. After graduation from UCLA, she got a teaching credential and taught for two years at Castelar Ave. Elementary in China Town, Los Angeles. Patty and Monte got married in 1966 at the Unitarian Church on Santa Barbara Street and had their wedding reception in Harvey and Helen’s back yard.
Patty and Monte moved to Thousand Oaks, and later to Tarzana, where they raised their two daughters. Patty decided to dedicate her life to being a wonderful mom, shuttling Lauren and Kimmy to diving, gymnastics, swimming, t-ball, soccer, Brownies and school. Patty was a volunteer and for a decade the administrative coordinator for the Volunteer League of the San Fernando Valley while singing with the Troopers and lunching with the Dinettes. Patty also volunteered with the Assistance League of Southern California. She made it her mission to improve the lives of others.
Despite the busy schedule, Patty still found time to keep up with her favorite hobbies. She was a passionate seamstress, sewing many clothes, quilts and Halloween costumes for Lauren and Kimmy. She enjoyed arts and crafts, delving into activities like swimming, furniture refinishing, gardening, antiquing, wall papering, decorating, stained and fused glass making, reading, cooking, baking, and gingerbread house making.
As their children were finishing college, in 1994 Patty and Monte bought a share in a townhouse at East Beach where they had a trial run at becoming full time Santa Barbarians. They decided it was the right fit and moved to Santa Barbara full time in 1998 when they bought their 120 year old dream fixer upper. They created a beautiful home which has been a gathering place for many wonderful family meals and holiday parties and even Lauren and Rick’s wedding reception. Patty joined the Assistance League of Santa Barbara where she worked on various committees providing support for community projects. She excelled at singing harmonies with the Ukulele Lulus, entertaining seniors in the community.
Patty was a wonderful grandmother to her four grandchildren. She enjoyed watching their numerous soccer, basketball and baseball games, and musical performances. She passed on her many family traditions (and her sweet-tooth) when she baked cookies, dyed Easter Eggs, dressed up for Halloween and danced and played with her grandchildren. Patty also enjoyed swimming, gardening, road trips with Monte, and collecting sand, shells, and rocks during low tides on the beach. After Monte’s retirement, they traveled the world with various groups of friends and family, where she added to her collection of beautiful sands from every beach she visited.
From a cappella choir in high school, singing at UniCamp and Camp Conrad campfires, to UCLA Spring Sing with the “TenAvUm,” to the Troopers in the Volunteer League, to selecting music to play, writing chords and teaching newcomers for 15 years in Ukulele Lulus, Patty loved to sing and could harmonize with every song she ever heard.
Patty is survived by her husband, Monte, and daughters, Lauren Fligsten Rodriguez (Rick) and Kim Fligsten Carlson (Mike), and grandchildren CJ and Becca Rodriguez, and Georgia and Jake Carlson. She was predeceased by her brother Bill Rudolph and her sister Judy Rudolph Piper (Charlie). Patty was survived by her brother Chuck Rudolph (Charla), both of whom passed away within a month of Patty’s passing. Patty is survived by her sister Joan Rudolph Oakley (Bill), her sister-in-law Ann Rudolph, and numerous nephews and nieces. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, you may donate to VNA Health (Visiting Nurses) or Alzheimer’s research.