Mrs. Patsy Rae Stevenson Garrison, 89, currently of Raleigh, NC, passed away peacefully on November 29, 2025. She was the daughter of the late Raymond Fullerton “Red” Stevenson and Theo Luella Kendrick Stevenson. Patsy was born on May 14, 1936, in Converse, Louisiana. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the Southwest Louisiana Institute in Lafayette, LA and a Master’s Degree in Education from McNeese State College in Louisiana. Her first job, teaching elementary school, brought her to Lake Charles, LA, where she met the love of her life, Jerome Vincent “Skip” Garrison, whom she was married to for 62 fantastic years and who preceded her in death in 2022.

Her life will be forever cherished in the lives of her family: Ken (& Joyce) Stevenson, her brother of Cortez, CO; Jeris Womack, her sister-in-law of Waco, TX; children David (& Betsy) Garrison of Raleigh, NC; and Mark (& Susan) Garrison of Waller, TX; seven grown grandchildren: Mike, Lindsey, Kevin, Chris, Lauren, Danielle, and Tim; and two great-granddaughters: Hallie (almost 2) and Sophie (1 month).

Patsy began her career as teacher and a homemaker while Skip’s job moved them from Lake Charles, LA, to Sherman, TX, to Downers Grove, IL and finally Framingham, MA. During her life, family traveling enabled her to see all the states but Hawaii, and much of Europe including any art museum she could find. One of the greatest benefits of her being home was being able to travel with Skip on several of his business trips to Russia and around Europe and make multiple five-week, cross-country trips with the whole family…including the dog!

Skip and Patsy retired to Cadiz, KY in 1995. Patsy spent 24 years serving the community with her participation in: the annual Trigg County Country Ham Festival, RSVP (Volunteers mentoring kids in school), and Take a Kid Fishing Day. She loved Lake Barkley and the surrounding area and all the special friends they made there. She also enjoyed the country life working outside; feeding and watching the birds and deer; and gardening. Her other hobbies included bowling (her high score was 257), reading, and anything to do with painting or arts & crafts. She often could be found teaching her grandkids how to do something “crafty” when they visited most every summer. Her love of painting started from a few lessons in Framingham to over 50 years of creating beautiful canvasses, many of which are framed and on our walls.

During her life, she was known for many things throughout the family. Her brother, parents and uncles all told stories of “Captain Bossy” who always had to have things her way until that one day when Ken finally grew big enough to put a halt to things. (No one younger than them can believe this, because her demeanor as a mom and grandma was so sweet. Maybe it was that red hair of hers!) Another memory we all have is of her and Jeris being the “shade sisters” who always needed to get out of the sun, despite living most of their lives down south! Her children remember a mom who was always there whenever they needed her and was a big help with any school project. Her grandkids remember all the times painting and creating something, trying to make her famous chocolate chip cookies with the recipe that was identical to the one on the bag of chips, except for…., or staying up late to talk about anything they could think of.

Patsy’s passing leaves a void in the hearts of those who knew her, but her spirit will continue to inspire and guide us. She always gave of herself and never asked for anything in return. Her laughter, her love of life, her sweetness and her ability to make everyone feel cherished will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Per her wishes, her ashes will be spread in Cadiz, KY, this spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.