Pat was born in Los Angeles, CA to Ferol and Joe Lee Ballenger. He graduated from Venice, California, High School in 1947, joined the National Guard and served with the United States Army in Korea. He then commenced his career as a building contractor, learning the ropes in the post war building boom of the ‘50s.

Pat was an avid sailor and yachtsman. He sailed to Tahiti in 1965 and on his return to Los Angeles he stopped in Maui, Hawaii and stayed 20 years. In Maui, he was a sought after builder and remodeler. In between jobs Pat sailed a catamaran from California to Hawaii, sailed a schooner to California, Mexico and back to Hawaii, and sailed a ketch from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, through the Bahamas, transited the Panama Canal, visited the Galapagos Islands for supplies and sailed directly back to Hawaii, a journey of 4,400 miles. Pat was a former commodore and life member of the Lahaina Yacht Club, former commodore of the Offshore Cruising Club (CA) and a former member of the San Juan Island Yacht Club and Friday Harbor Sailing Club.

Pat built his 53-foot powerboat “Ranger” in Lahaina and motored across the Pacific to San Juan Island in 1986. Once again he found his island paradise and enjoyed cruising the Pacific Northwest waters with his loving wife, JoAnn, first mate and navigator for the last 30 years.

Pat Ballenger passed away peacefully at his winter home in Florida on March 17, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, JoAnn; son Mathew (Jamie) Ballenger of Honolulu; daughter Laurel Amine of Canyon Lake, California; granddaughter Tiffany Yamauchi and great-grandson Jayden Yamauchi.