Patsy Acree Colley

Patsy Acree Colley, 72, of Spotsylvania, Virginia, died on Saturday, December 8, 2018, at the Hospice of Virginia at Retreat Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, on December 1, 1946, Patsy was the daughter of Joseph Warren Acree and Florence Avis Acree. She was preceded in death by her parents; her aunt and uncle, Catherine and Jimmie Dunn; by her sister-in-law, Roberta Colley; and her nephew, Michael Colley. She is survived by her husband, Robert T. Colley of Spotsylvania; her daughter, Kristen Whitaker and son-in-law, Tripp Whitaker of Richmond; brother-in-law, Don Colley; brother-in-law, Scott Colley, and sister-in-law, Christine H. Colley, all of Charlottesville; her cousins and their spouses, Jay and Mary Lee Dunn, Billy and Susanne Dunn, and Rob and Banna Dunn; and by her niece, Gwen Colley of Ottawa, Canada and Gwen's spouse, Daniel Smythe. Patsy graduated from Albemarle High School, then attended Marion College. Later she received a bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. During the Vietnam War, she moved to Thailand and lived at Pattaya Beach, Thailand with her husband who was serving nearby in the U.S. Army. While living abroad, she voyaged around the world more than once and discovered her passion for travel. Once back in Richmond, Virginia, she started and ran a successful travel agency, Colley Travel Counselors in downtown Richmond, and proved to be a top resource for business travel during the 1980s and 1990s. She also served as President of the National Association of Women in Travel. In 1997, she sold her business and moved to Spotsylvania where she began another successful career in real estate until her retirement. Patsy was an avid gardener, and enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, and animals. She was also a natural athlete who took to tennis and ice skating effortlessly. A proud owner of a succession of rescue dogs, she brought into her family, Tuckahoe, Buckwheat, Callie, Kenzie, Macon, Bella, Tye, Sassy, Roxy, and Bagel, the devil dog. Patsy was also fond of her "grand-dogs" Molly and Birdie. The family is deeply grateful to the caregivers at the Hospice of Virginia at Retreat Hospital, who took good care of her. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Hill and Wood Funeral Home, Charlottesville. It was Patsy's wish for no flowers or other memorials beyond support of local rescue groups who care for dogs and cats. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.hillandwood.com.