Patsye Gathright

Patsye Ann Gathright died in Dallas on February 11, 2018, as her spirit was welcomed into God's loving arms. Patsye will be remembered for her faith in God, inquisitive mind, outgoing personality, sense of humor, steely determination, always saying please and thank you, and her tender side (Hallmark commercials could bring her to tears.)

Born in 1930, Patsye was the oldest of three children born to Eureka and Paul Ferguson. She lived in the Texas Panhandle in her youth, but her family moved to Abilene when she was in her teens. While at Abilene High School, she managed to skip a grade to graduate a year ahead of her class at the age of 17. In 1948, she married Rex G. Stubbs who was attending Hardin Simmons University on the G.I. Bill. Patsye and Rex had four children: Shere, Brenda, Rex Jr., and Vicki. As partners in their business, Key City Automotive, Rex traveled 3 days a week as an auto parts salesman, and in his absence Patsye operated the store, filled orders, and did the bookkeeping - all while keeping an eye on her youngest two children who played and napped behind the service counter.

Even while fulfilling her role as mother and wife, Patsye was a natural leader and businesswoman. When her children were in elementary school during the late 1950s and 1960s, she was active in the Taylor County Democratic Women's Club and served as President and Treasurer. She even hobnobbed with Mrs. Lyndon Johnson and Mrs. Omar Burleson while their husbands campaigned on a tour that meandered through Abilene in 1953. She also served as Vice-President of the Abilene Business Women's Club, Key City Chapter. As her children grew up, Patsye developed a successful home-based, direct-sales business selling Con-Stan's Sculptress bras and Nutrimetics products to a growing network of women. She was a director for Con-Stan/Nutrimetics for over 40 years.

After 20 years, Patsye and Rex ended their marriage. Patsye married Abilene homebuilder I. S. Gathright in 1969 and played an integral role in their homebuilding and lumber and brick business. Together, Patsye and I.S. built hundreds of new homes in Abilene in the Brookhollow/River Oaks subdivisions and at Canyon Rock Estates. Patsye enjoyed customizing the floor plans and designing the interiors as well as being a second pair of eyes on construction sites and doing the bookkeeping. Patsye and I. S. built their dream home on Gathright Drive in Canyon Rock Estates, a land parcel they purchased, developed and named. Patsye not only customized their home plan and made sure it included the most up to date modern conveniences, she even got up on the roof with a hammer to nail down the shingles. She also designed and fabricated several stained glass windows for the front doors.

Patsye and I. S. Gathright were active in the Home Builders Association, locally, as well as on the state and national level. For two decades they attended the state and national conventions of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where they provided a voice for Abilene's builders and learned about the latest home products. Patsye chartered Abilene's chapter of the Women's Council of the Home Builders Association in 1978 (now called the Professional Women in Building). She twice served as President for the Abilene chapter, and nationally, she earned a 35-year membership pin, and was recognized as a Lifetime Director and Lifetime Spikette. In 1999, the Abilene chapter nominated Patsye for the National Association of Home Builders' Woman of the Year award.

Patsye was an excellent seamstress and designed many of the outfits in her wardrobe. A stylish dresser with a flair for finding unique shoes, hats and accessories, she had a knack for pulling them all together in memorable ensembles. She was active in the Christian Women's Club, hosted Bible study and community speakers in her home, taught Sunday School, and was a longtime member of First Christian Church. Patsye and I.S. also worked together on projects for Habitat for Humanity, and to deliver Meals on Wheels.

After 37 years of marriage, Patsye's husband I.S. Gathright passed away in 2007. By then Patsye had begun to show signs of Alzheimer's disease, and she moved to Monticello West in Dallas where her health could be monitored by her daughter Brenda.

Patsye is survived by her younger sister Paula Wray of Abilene; four children Shere Chamness (Paul von Huben) of Littleton, Colorado, Brenda Spencer (Nelson) of Dallas, Rex Stubbs Jr. (Robin) of Sherman, Vicki Donkersley (Neil) of Tucson, Arizona; six grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and three nephews and their families.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Barbara Murray, Janet (LaWana) Spencer, Evette Cook, Sheila Harold, Torran Hill, Velvet Smith, Barbara Williams, and Kate Marshall at Monticello West for their devoted and compassionate care of Patsye. In addition, warmest appreciation goes to Aqua Umoren, Rachel Stephens, Alex Guerrero, Sara Golden and Sheila Coulter at Holding Hands Hospice for their comforting end of life care.

The family invites friends to join them for a memorial service and celebration of Patsye's life on Saturday, March 24th, 2pm, at Elmwood Funeral Home in Abilene, Texas

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