Patsy Wynne Wingate, 74, formerly of West Orange

Patricia Wynne Wingate, 74, of Beaumont, died Wednesday March 20 of complications following surgery for cancer on Feb. 6.

Patsy was born March 1, 1950, in Orange, and grew up there. She graduated from West Orange High School in 1968, earned her B.A. from Lamar University in 1973, and continued working on an M.A. in History there. As fate would have it, she met a wonderful man, John Doucet, Jr., on a blind date in July 1977, and they married that December. Although they were divorced after 16 years, they remained close and were remarried on April 6, 2017.

She lived and worked in and around Beaumont for her entire life, primarily at the Beaumont State Center, now Spindletop Center. She started at the BSC in 1977 and retired in 2007. During her time there, she served as a Therapist Technician in the Recreation Department, specializing in teaching swimming and water safety. She was also a Special Olympics swim coach at Area 5 and Chapter competitions.

She also served as an Emergency Medical Technician for many years beginning in the 1990s, with fascinating stories of her times at the SETX State Fair!

She was preceded in death by her sister Marie W. Lindsey; her mother Florence B. Wingate; and her father, Lance J. Wingate. Besides her husband, she is survived by her son Jonathan King, his wife MaryBeth, and their sons Nathan and Nicolas, of Auburn, Alabama; her sister Nancy Wingate and husband Cruce Stark of Wilmington, Delaware; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Patsy loved and collected jewelry, especially diamonds, gold, and jade. Her hobbies included reading, swimming, horseback riding, crocheting, and doing crossword puzzles. She was a dog lover and while she tolerated only some house cats, she loved the big cats, and images of lions, tigers, and cheetahs adorned her home and her clothes.

Patsy chose cremation. A Celebration of Life/Memorial Service will be held at Claybar Funeral Home, 504 N. Fifth St., Orange, Texas, on Wednesday March 27, at 1:30. Please come prepared to share memories and stories of Patsy!

In lieu of flowers, feel free to donate to the charity that is most meaningful to you. Patsy's favorites were the Arbor Day Foundation, the USO, and Harbor Hospice of Beaumont, where she spent her last peaceful days (and where she had previously served as a volunteer).