Patricia Sybil Owens Garlington

Published 2:04 pm Tuesday, May 30, 2023

A Celebration of Patricia (Pat) Garlington’s Life will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Jasper, Texas with burial to follow at Weeks Chapel Cemetery in Jasper, Texas.

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until time of service, Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the Funeral Home.

Patricia (Pat) Garlington passed away in Lufkin, Texas on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 the age of 98.  She was born on June 20, 1924, in Merryville, Louisiana to Robert Elmer Owens and Annie Raye Scheumach Owens.

Patricia graduated from Merryville High School in 1941 at the age of 16, and graduated from Vincent Business College in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

After graduating from business college, she secured a secretarial position with Mathieson, Alkali Works. During World War II, she worked as a secretary in all the Lake Charles defense plants. For this endeavor she was awarded the World War II

Honoree Certificate as a civilian worker on the home front. After World War II, she worked as a secretary for the Department Head of Engineering of Gulf States Utilities in Lake Charles.

Later she moved to the Mid-County area in Texas where she began working as a secretary for the McFaddin Family Interests (Caldwell and Perry McFaddin,

Mrs. Mamie McFaddin Ward, Gus and Jean McFaddin and other family members) for almost 50 years, where she was fondly known as “Miss Pat.”

Pat was a long-time member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Port Neches, where she served as Financial Secretary on the Board of Deacons and many committees.

For many years she was a member of the Aquarius Chapter of the American

Business Women’s Association, whose mission was providing college scholarships to two area young women. Pat served as Vice President and Chairman of many committees. In 1981, she was selected as the Chapter’s “Woman of the Year.”

Having a great desire to work with young people, Pat joined the Mid-County

Optimist Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Under her leadership and some other dedicated senior members, this squadron recruited 60 new cadet members. The squadron was named number one twice in Texas Wing, and in the top four squadrons in the nation once.

She originated and directed the Annual Cadet Awards Program, which gave trophies to outstanding cadet achievements. Through many hours of time and schooling she achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

She was named and awarded the number one female Senior Member in the Texas Wing and was selected to serve as Director of the Cadet Program for Texas Wing. She conducted many type A Encampments and Solo Encampments.

She is survived by daughter, Susan Owens of Shreveport, Louisiana, son Kennie Garlington Jr. and wife Jacqueline, granddaughter, Rachel Garlington and grandson, Grant Garlington, all of Fort Worth, Texas, several nieces and nephews, and beloved best friend, Linda Way of Beaumont, Texas.

She is proceeded in death by the love of her life, husband of 61 years Kennie (Buck) Garlington Sr.

Memorial contributions may be made to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance on their website at https://pda.pcusa.org/ or Trinity Presbyterian Church of Port Neches, 805 Sierra Drive, Port Neches, Texas 77651.

Services are under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral.