Patricia Smith Shields

1931 - 2020

Patricia Ellen Smith Shields, 88, died on Saturday April 18, 2020, at Carol Woods in Chapel Hill, NC. She was born in New Orleans, LA on August 16, 1931 to Eugenie Stone Smith and Morton Mayrant Smith. She had one older brother, Morton Murray Smith, who predeceased her. It was his youthful mispronunciation of 'Patricia' that bestowed upon her the lifelong nickname of "Teta". More recent friends knew her as 'Pat.' Teta/Pat graduated from Eleanor McMain High School in New Orleans in 1949. She studied music at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for one year before marrying Robert D. Anding in 1950, with whom she had one son. In 1956, she married a second time to Bernard E. Shields, with whom she had three children. Teta spent those early years raising her children, but never lost the desire to go back to school and complete her degree. She returned to college when her children were in high school, and in 1979 graduated from McNeese State University with a B.S. in Math with a concentration in Computer Science – true evidence of her spunk and determination since that was an era when women rarely returned to college in their 40's or chose computer science as a major. She then embarked on a fulfilling career as a Computer Programmer Analyst for the State of Louisiana, Department of Education, in Baton Rouge, LA, from 1983-1996. She retired in 1996. In 2003, Teta/Pat moved to Chapel Hill, NC, to be closer to family, but she never stopped missing her beloved New Orleans. In retirement, she occupied her time with many interests, including crossword puzzles, reading non-fiction books about history and politics, playing Quiddler and other word games (and usually winning), her many grandchildren, her dogs, and doing needlepoint. During the fall months, the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers were never far from her mind or TV schedule. Teta's acerbic wit and lively intelligence made for entertaining conversation around the dinner table and kept all of us on our toes. Teta/Pat is survived by her four children and their spouses: Robert D. Anding, II (Diane) of New Orleans, LA; Susan S. Marchman (Lee) of Chapel Hill, NC; Ann M. Shields Bohm (Mark) of Ann Arbor, MI; and Thomas B. Shields (Nicolle) of Houston, TX. She is also survived by ten grandchildren: Robert D. Anding, III, David C. Anding, Michael M. Anding, Robert L. Marchman V, Jacob A. Marchman, Samuel S. Marchman, Lauren E. Bohm, Julia E. Bohm, Cari J. Bohm, and Carson A. Shields, and one great-grandchild, Bethany Anding. Extended family includes her sister-in-law Suzanne B. Smith, nephews Morton, Stan and Robert Smith, and Stone cousins, Sandy Davis, Barbara Stone, Walter Stone and Linda Stovall. The family is deeply grateful to the special nurses and staff at Carol Woods who cared for our mom so attentively during her last years, and especially during her last illness. A private family memorial will be held in New Orleans once the current pandemic travel restrictions have been lifted. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) at www.aspca.org.