Patricia "Patty" Sue McCormick

On February 4, 2026, Patricia “Patty” McCormick – educator, actress, and community arts leader – took her final bow in Cedar Park, Texas. For decades, she and her husband, Dr. Leonard McCormick, shared a creative partnership that shaped classrooms and communities across Texas.

Born in McAllen and raised in nearby San Benito, Patty’s early awareness of inequities in the Rio Grande Valley informed her worldview and her approach to teaching. After studying theatre at Trinity University in San Antonio, she began her career teaching English, drama, and communication at the high-school level. She met Leonard at an audition – he was the pianist – and their artistic collaboration began, first in Austin and later in Fort Worth, where they built a family and a life in the arts.

At Tarrant County College, Patty created productions and classrooms where anyone willing to participate had a place. Her professional service included leadership within the Texas Educational Theatre Association and work with the American College Theatre Festival, including a guest-directing invitation to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

An accomplished actress, she performed widely, including at Casa Mañana, Scott Theatre, and Stage West. In retirement, she and Leonard moved to be near their grandson in Lago Vista, where she helped grow the Lago Vista Players with many memorable productions.

An avid traveler and lover of culture, animals, and books, Patty will be remembered as a funny, creative, and inspiring storyteller. She is survived by her sons, Sean and Christopher, Christopher’s husband Mark Gooding, and her beloved grandson, Ivan.