Patricia R. Attneave's Obituary
Patricia Rowell Attneave departed this life peacefully on October 12, 2023 at Kirby Pines LifeCare Community in Memphis. She was 92 years old.
Pat was born in 1931 in Lexington, Mississippi to Fred Attneave II and Octavia Rowell Attneave. She spent her early years in Blackhawk, MS, where her father ran a general store started by his father, Fred Attneave I, an immigrant from England. Pat’s mother home-schooled her, along with her older brother and sister, until the family moved to Memphis when Pat was 9 years old. There she attended public schools for the first time, a big adventure for a small girl, and made a few good friendships that she kept life-long, her friends Nat Dillon Marks, Nancy Hearn Cutts and Charlene Chapman Morrison. They, and eventually their families, shared good times and tough times throughout the years.
After high school Pat attended Memphis State briefly, and then completed a course at the Miller Hawkins Business School. She spent 42 years as Production Administrator at WMC-TV, where her sister also worked, and retired in 1993. She served for several years on the Memphis City Beautiful Commission, enjoyed playing familiar songs by ear on the piano, and loved to knit and do crossword puzzles until becoming mostly blind near the end of her life.
Pat was preceded in death by her mother and father, her sister, Martha Gary Attneave, her brother, Fred Attneave III, and her aunts Ida and Elizabeth Attneave. She leaves behind a niece, Dorothy Attneave of Eugene, Oregon, a nephew, Philip Attneave and wife Penny Berk of LaConner, Washington, her “adopted son” Angus MacDonald of Memphis, with whom she made several trips to visit his family in his native Scotland, and her “niece-in-love” Mary Ann Weaver of Cordova, daughter of Pat’s close friend from school days, Nat Dillon Marks.
According to Pat’s wishes, the funeral will be a simple graveside ceremony on Wednesday, October 18th at 12:00 Noon, at Memorial Park in Memphis, and she will rest alongside her father and mother, sister, and aunts.
Contributions in Pat’s memory may be made to the Kirby Pines Residents’ Fund that gratefully recognizes the staff of Kirby Pines that have been a wonderful blessing to Pat.
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