Realtor, paralegal, staunch Democrat, beloved aunt

Patricia May Kimball, a longtime Claremont resident, died August 27, 2013 at Pomona Valley Hospital after a short illness. She was 89.

Ms. Kimball was born in Newport Beach on May 9, 1924 to May Agee Kimball and Clarence O. Kimball, a Methodist minister. The family lived in several southern California communities where her father, Dr. Kimball, was assigned to lead churches.

Upon her father’s death, young Tish and her mother moved to Claremont where she attended Girls’ Collegiate School and Pomona College. During World War II, she volunteered as a nurse’s aide.

After graduating from Pomona, Ms. Kimball started her career in real estate in the Pasadena area, where she was also active in Democratic politics, supporting the campaigns of several local and state-level Democratic candidates. She then became an assistant to California state comptroller Alan Cranston and remained in that post during Mr. Cranston’s tenure in office.

In the late 1960s, she served as assistant to the president of San Francisco State College, became a consultant and writer, and then moved back to Claremont to take a position with Pitzer College.

When she was in her 60s and many of her contemporaries were planning their retirement, Ms. Kimball fulfilled a lifelong dream by enrolling in the University of La Verne College of Law. After earning her degree, she ran her own paralegal firm in downtown Claremont for several years. In her retirement years, she pursued her interest in music as an active member of a women’s recorder group. She moved to Mt. San Antonio Gardens in 2009.

Ms. Kimball is survived by her nephew and his wife, Jack and Patty Clarke of Dana Point; by her niece and her husband, Jeannette and Cleve Callison of Wilmington, North Carolina; and by her niece, Mary Jo Rybolt of Flagstaff, Arizona. She is also survived by her grandnephews, Josh Clarke and John Callison; by her grandnieces, Melinda Clarke and Mary Callison; by her great-grand nieces, Catherine Grace Mirich and Natasha Clarke; and by her great-grand nephew, Jacob Clarke.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Elizabeth Miller Clarke, Jessica Miller Haskell, C.O. (Bill) Kimball, Jr., Dorothy Kimball Griffith and Mary Jo Kimball.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 7 in Kingman Chapel at the Claremont United Church of Christ, located at 233 Harrison Ave., in Claremont. Todd Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Best Friends Animal Society, a national no-kill organization. Information may be found on their website, www.bestfriends.org.