Connections With Animals Deepen Over a Lifetime

Patty Edwards recalls fond memories of her visits to Woodland Park Zoo while growing up in Seattle. Never owning pets in her youth, Patty’s deepest bonds with animals—felines, in particular—were forged later in life. These close ties, sparked by her dear cat companions and gathering with good friends at our annual Jungle Party, drew her back to the zoo as an adult.

Patty’s belief in the importance of human connections with animals and these life-affirming relationships eventually inspired her to become a member of Woodland Park Zoo’s LionHearts Society.

A lover of cats, wild and domestic, striped and spotted, big and small, Patty finds great joy in giving to Woodland Park Zoo during her lifetime and ensuring the zoo’s strong future through our inclusion in her estate plan. Most recently, she helped us build the tiger nursery in Banyan Wilds, eagerly anticipating (yet awaiting semi-patiently!) the day when the first litter of Malayan tiger cubs will be born in the new exhibit.

Truly at home among animals, Patty’s connections with them have been a great source of solace and friendship, even in times of stifling loss. Upon the passing of Patty’s beloved husband, Bob, her feline companions were a North Star that helped her heart find healing.

On her frequent trips to the zoo, Patty marvels at the countless behavioral similarities between her domestic pair, Tiffany and Tabatha, and our much larger Malayan tigers, Liem, Eko and Olan, whose wild counterparts the zoo helps protect in Malaysia.

Coupled with her desire to ensure our zoo and its species-saving work flourish for the benefit of future generations, Patty believes strongly in making unrestricted charitable gifts. In her giving to her three favorite local charities, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Woodland Park Zoo, she considers it paramount to build strong levels of trust, which underpin confidence in her giving without any particular expectations.

“I find great happiness in all of my connections with the hospital, the ballet and the zoo,” says Patty, “yet I certainly don’t know how to run them. I trust the experts to utilize my gifts where they really need the funds. To me, this is the most important way I can make a difference and enjoy sharing in the impacts during my lifetime.” Woodland Park Zoo remains deeply grateful to Patty for the trust she has placed in us as a beneficiary of her generosity, her belief in the importance of human-animal connections and her shared hope for our first litter of Malayan tiger cubs—one day.