Patsy Walker King

Patsy Walker King

November 7, 1935—January 5, 2024

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work,
to play and to look up at the stars.”

– Henry Van Dyke

Patsy Walker King (88)—a beloved mother, aunt, and friend— passed away on January 5, 2024.

Patsy King will be remembered as someone who was exceptionally beautiful inside and out; who cherished her close relationships, life-long friendships, and the devotion of her husband Allen King; and who embraced life’s simple pleasures: a warm cup of coffee on the porch in the morning, Andes chocolate mints, a good book by a cozy fire, loyal dogs and snuggly cats, birdsong, handwritten cards, afternoon “visits,” and spring’s first Lenten roses and daffodils.

Patsy Walker was born into a large family—the youngest of five siblings—on November 7, 1935, in Fayette County. A skinny, precocious child, she loved animals, the outdoors, and her large, sprawling family—traits she carried with her throughout her life and shared with her children and many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

She spent her childhood roaming the countryside on horseback with her older brothers, playing hide-and-seek at the family’s historic home, Chestnut Hill, and camping at Joyner’s Campground. She was an avid lover of books from an early age, with a penchant for glamour and adventure—a favorite memory was her mother letting her stay up all night and skip school to finish reading Gone with the Wind.

In 1953, she graduated Fayette County High School and attended Lambeth University briefly before transferring to the University of Tennessee. In 1956, she met and quickly fell in love with Allen King, and they married in 1957, following her graduation. Together, she and Allen built a devoted, abundant life—filled with love, laughter, and the joys of home and travel—that she often summed up with a well-known quip: “Allen makes the living, and I make the living worthwhile.”

In addition to caring for her family and bolstering her husband throughout his many civic endeavors, she valued her service to her community as a literacy volunteer, Special Friend, and long-time member of First Presbyterian Church.

Allen and Patsy King were married for sixty-seven dedicated years until his passing in November 2023. “Honey,” as she was lovingly known, is survived by their three children John (Blanche), Jane Jameson (Richard), and Gooch, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

These days, few people’s lives are defined by the deep ties—cherished relationships, devotion to family and community, a legacy of faith, joy and beauty—that Patsy King embodied. On this day of our collective mourning, let us celebrate that Earthly life and rejoice in envisioning her joyful reunion with God, her husband, and the many loved ones who passed before her to heaven.

SERVICES: Funeral Services will be held on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 2:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church in Brownsville, TN with Dr. Joe Pettigrew officiating. Burial will follow at the Walker-Garnett Cemetery in Fayette County.  The family will receive friends on Monday, January 8, 2024, from 12 Noon – 2:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church in Brownsville, TN.

Those serving as pallbearers will be Everette Woods, Wesley Evans, John Sharpe, Jr. Walker Thornton, Joe Reeves Locke, and Frank Chapman.

The family has requested any memorial contributions should go to First Presbyterian Church, 109 W. College St., Brownsville, TN 38012, or to Joyner’s Campground, c/o Mrs. Virginia Ann Walker, 3690 Yum Yum Rd., Somerville, TN 38068, or to Smile Train, PO Box 96231, Washington, DC 20090-6231.

All arrangements and services are under the direction of the Lea & Simmons Funeral Home in Brownsville, TN.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

-Psalm 118:24