Patricia Stalder Lengi was born in Omak Washington and grew up in Pine Creek Washington a community of farmers and ranchers in the foothills outside of Tonasket Washington 30 miles from the Canadian border. She attended a one room school house throughout grade school and for most of that time her mother was the teacher. She was the Valedictorian of her high school class and graduated from Washington State University with highest honors. She joined CIA and served overseas in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Egypt. She also lived two years in Germany with her husband before settling down in Virginia.