Patricia Ann Mynatt

Patsy Mynatt, age 79, went home to be with the Lord on August 21, 2025. Patsy met the love of her life, Gene Mynatt, in high school. He won over a shy, introverted girl, later becoming a member of the United States Navy, making her a sailor's wife, and moving her to Hawaii before moving home to Knoxville. They went on to be married for 55 years before his untimely death in 2020, and shared a love of eating out, travel, and investing in the lives of others, especially young people. Together, they raised three children who gave them six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, all of whom brought Patsy a tremendous amount of joy. Though her professional career included jobs at Woolworth's, Miller's Department Store, Oakwood Elementary School, as a Mary Kay consultant, a certified doula, and at Nature's Way Montessori School, what brought Patsy the deepest fulfillment in life was working with babies and young children. She had a remarkable, God-given gift of taking very complex concepts and making them very easy for a child to understand, giving them a tremendous amount of dignity as she communicated with them. She did this in a variety of settings - through the church nursery and through generously opening up her home to help young families in need of care. While she was too humble to have ever admitted it or perhaps even realized it, these sacred interactions she had with little people mattered deeply to the Kingdom and were her life's calling. Generations of families are and will be different because of her and her example. Before an illness permanently affected her vocal chords, Patsy had a beautiful and powerful singing voice that many in her home church enjoyed hearing. She was also a wonderful encourager. Through her words and through her presence, through a head nod as a song was sung, Patsy encouraged others to continue in their callings, too. She is preceded in death by parents, George and June Parker; husband, Gene Mynatt; and daughter, Ashley Nicole Mynatt. She is survived by daughter, Amy Welch; son, Shane (Megan) Mynatt; grandchildren, Jared Mynatt (fiancé Anna Henson), Malachi Welch (Anneissa), Savannah, Saylor, Bauer, and Isabella Mynatt; great-grandchildren, Londyn Mynatt and Salem Welch; and sisters and brothers, Etta Sue Humphries, Alice Hudgens, Butch (Rose) Parker, Tim (Lee Ann) Parker; and many special nieces and nephews. The family also wishes to extend special appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Monica Crane and Amedysis Hospice. The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 24th from 5:00-6:00pm at North Knoxville Baptist Church with a service to follow, Pastor Tim Parker officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to support the missions ministries of CrossPoint Church, 2000 Loves Creek Road, Knoxville, TN 37924.