Patricia Elaine Reynolds

Patricia (Pat/Trish) Elaine Reynolds, age 66, passed away on August 29, 2022, from complications of cancer. Through remissions and recurrences of the disease over a thirteen year period, Pat remained optimistic, participating in a stem cell transplant in 2014 and in a clinical trial over the past year.

Pat impacted the lives of students, families, and faculty for over four decades at private schools in Cleveland, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and most recently Sacramento, California. Her roles ranged from science teacher to coach to school counselor, which was her passion and calling. Her ability to listen deeply was a gift. Educating students and adults in issues of diversity, equity, and justice was for Pat a moral imperative.

From being the first female to win the Athlete of the Year award at Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico, Virginia, to playing Division I basketball at James Madison University to helping her Houston-based women's basketball team secure a Senior Olympics division title, Pat excelled at sports. She completed a century bike ride in the thin air of Colorado's San Luis Valley during her cancer journey. Pat loved to hike, camp, and grill. Some of her happiest days were spent at the off-grid cabin in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo foothills that she and her partner designed and adored.

Pat's uncanny sense of humor, commitment to kindness, and mantra of "safety first!" will be missed by many, including her siblings Gerald, Kathy, and Tommy, many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, dear friends across the U.S., and most especially by Sharon, her beloved partner of twenty-two years, and their two rescue pups, Mocha and Happy.

Private events to honor Pat's life of service will be held in Richmond, Houston, and on the Pacific coast. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Pat's name to a dog rescue effort like Muttville (NorCal) or Pup Squad (Houston) or to a local chapter of PFLAG, "dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families."