Patti Bylsma was born Patricia Otwell Carvajal in San Francisco, California on September 11, 1929. Her parents were Eunice Otwell of California and Demetrio Carvajal from Cuba. She grew up in southern California where she graduated from Van Nuys High School. She never knew her father—he had to return to Cuba soon after she was born. She was raised by her mother, her grandfather (Colonel Curtis Otwell), and step grandmother (Ethyl “Nan” Havemeyer Otwell). Her mother remarried and Patti eventually became a big sister to a half-brother and two half-sisters. She had a challenging upbringing, and at age 17 when her mother died, Patti turned to a mentor who guided her to become a Christian. She attended Simpson Bible College (now Simpson University) in Redding, California against her grandparents wishes.

While attending Simpson, she met and fell in love with Norman "Bud" Bylsma. After Bud graduated from Seattle Pacific College, they married on June 9, 1950 in Seattle. A year later, they had their first child, a daughter Cherie Lynn. Patti had stopped attending college to be a mother and Bud started working for Young Life (YL), a Christian ministry to teenagers. His job took them to Pennsylvania where Patti gave birth to their first son, Peter James (Pete) in 1953. The family then moved to Baltimore where she gave birth to two more sons, Philip Jon (Phil) in 1956 and Stephen Scott (Steve) in 1958. Then the family moved to the DC area where Patti continued caring for her four children. In 1961 the family moved to San Jose, California, and later moved south to La Habra in Orange County in 1966.

Patti was a devoted wife and mother and had to be very adaptable, patient, and open to change with all the family moves. She was the glue that kept the family together. She had put college on hold for many years but was finally able to go back to college in 1968. She received her BA in Sociology from Biola University in La Mirada, CA in 1969 (the same year Cherie graduated from high school). The family then moved to the Chicago area when Bud was promoted in YL. With her daughter off to college and her boys growing up fast, Patti decided to continue her education and became a TESL teacher (Teaching English as a Second Language). She taught in her suburban town of Hinsdale and was acknowledged as a great teacher. She loved to support and help others who were new to the country. Later, she started a tutoring program in Cabrini Green, a massive low-income complex in the poorest and most dangerous part of Chicago.

When all the kids had left home, she and Bud reevaluated their lives and decided they wanted to serve under-privileged populations and learn about the Third World. Through World Concern, they moved to Bangladesh and lived there from 1982 to 1985. Bud directed a large organization called HEED (Health, Education, Economic Development) and Patti initiated a program to teach English. She hired and trained Bengalis, and the program grew immensely. She spearheaded the building of an English school as she created the education curriculum and implemented it. She helped many Bengalis learn English so they could further their education and get better jobs. The school is still one of the most highly regarded language institutions in Bangladesh. After moving back to the USA, she returned to Bangladesh twice, once to develop a new TESL course and again for the school’s 10-year anniversary where she was honored as its founder.

When Patti and Bud returned to the US in 1985, they settled in Seattle for 10 years. Bud started the Northwest Leadership Foundation (NLF) and Patti became the Education Consultant for NLF using her extensive experience in tutoring programs. By end of the first year, 50 kids were being tutored twice a week with 50 volunteers. The next year, Tutors Linc was created to put tutor programs into black churches. Over a 2-year period, 20 churches had programs and NLF became the primary initiators in creating tutor training programs in Seattle. Patti wrote a training manual for tutors, which Washington Mutual published and distributed statewide. Patti was also involved in the Healing Prayer Ministry at Bethany Church and taught English to refugees. When she and Bud moved to Portland in 1996, she continued teaching English to immigrants and led a summer TESL program at a church for 60 Latinx adults.

Over the years Patti became an expert's expert in teaching English as a second language. She made three trips to China (1988, 1990, 1994) and taught beginning and intermediate conversational English techniques to university professors of English. This included teaching at the Summer Training Program at Peking University. She was well respected by all her students, and in 1990 she was chosen to lead the program’s graduation ceremonies. She enjoyed being entertained in the rural homes of her students and fell in love with the Chinese people, their famous sites, and their culture.

In 1995 Patti went to Kyrgyzstan with a team of 10 from University Presbyterian Church for six weeks to teach ESL methodology to university professors who taught English. On the return trip, she visited Istanbul and loved the city. Later, she and Bud spent three weeks in Antalya, Turkey where she taught ESL to 15 instructors. She thoroughly enjoyed the people and culture in each of these countries.

Patti had always wondered about her father. She had her parents' marriage certificate and knew his name and the city where he lived in Cuba. In 2000 she traveled to Cuba to look for her father with Bud and a friend who spoke Spanish. She found out that her father had died in 1958, and when she visited his gravesite in Pinar del Rio (90 miles west of Havana), she finally had closure in finding her long-lost father. While she was there, she met some of her Cuban relatives, including a half-brother she didn’t know about. They immediately bonded, and Patti made several more trips to Cuba to visit her extended family and teach English at a Baptist seminary. She was cherished by her family there and was always welcomed with open arms.

One of Patti's dreams was to visit Spain to learn more about her Cuban/Spanish ancestors. In 2006 she and Cherie took a 2-week bus tour traveling through Spain. It was a wonderful experience spending time with her daughter and sharing their common passion for genealogy and travel. She met with a genealogist in Madrid to research her family but wasn't able to find many details. But they found a town on the coast in southern Spain named Carvajal after her father's lineage. Her Spanish roots brought out her love of dance, music, and singing, and she had an angelic voice. It was a dream fulfilled for her to be immersed in the Spanish culture, the language, the food, and everything Spain. In 2013 she made her last international trip, visiting her relatives in Cuba with her son Peter.

Eventually Patti and Bud's health prevented them from traveling, but they were both grateful for the opportunities they had helping others and traveling the world in service. When Bud retired from ministry at age 85, they moved back to Seattle to be closer to family. Patti's health declined and she experienced dementia. Bud cared for her the best he could, saying "she cooked, cleaned and took care of me for 65 years, now it's my time to care for her." When Bud's health also started to fail, they moved into an assisted living home. Patti became quite childlike and happy while she lived in the present moment. Bud died peacefully in his sleep in May 2021. They had been married for more than 70 years, having lived a long and full life together.

Patti always loved family gatherings and enjoyed all her grown children and grandchildren. There were summer reunions by the sea and many holiday gatherings. She loved celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family, cooking delicious meals, and making her well-loved cookies and desserts. Her home was always festive and welcoming to all who visited.

Patti lived happily in Kirkland, Washington, until her death on March 6, 2023. While living in a care home, people often remarked about her wonderful smile. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, friend, and teacher. She was loved by her four children, seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren as well as her many lifelong friends and students she influenced and helped during her teaching years in Bangladesh, China, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and the US. She was a humble servant and never talked about her accomplishments. She was well respected by all and was truly dedicated to serving the Lord — she lived out Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received; freely give.”