Patti Williams, a Dear Friend

I just got word that a wonderful woman and dear friend of mine from my Jr. High and Box Elder High School years passed away a few days ago.  I had the fortunate opportunity to reconnect with her over the past few years via Facebook and I have grown to appreciate her as a loving, caring daughter of Our Father in Heaven who had an unwavering faith in God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  She often shared with me her desire to live the gospel and her courage astonished me as I learned of the challenges she faced.  I can't help but think that anyone who knew Patti in any capacity was blessed for that relationship.  She loved golf and enjoyed sharing stories from her glory years of golf success and the difficulties that ended her career were heartbreaking, but she soldiered on and found joy in other areas including serving others with her skill in the medical field.  I introduced Patti to Scrabble on Facebook a few years ago and it didn't take long for her to consistently mop the floor with me.  Occasionally she'd let me win and I'd tease her that she should be a professional Scrabble player in Vegas.  Her kindness knew no bounds and she so often thought of others even as she struggled with so many health related problems of her own.

I will miss Patti Williams but will remember her for the loving person that I came to know these past few years and for the beautiful young woman that I remember from my youth.  I know she lives on and I look forward to a reunion with her and all our friends in the worlds to come.

Patti Williams (1959-2012)

Her obituary as posted in TheSpectrum.com

Patricia Ann Williams was born on Sept. 12, 1959, in Ogden, UT. She died June 1, 2012. She is the daughter of Tommy and Betty Williams. Her family moved to Brigham City once Patti was of school age and she lived there throughout her high school years. Patti attended Box Elder High School where she not only excelled in several sports including track, tennis, basketball, and golf, but was also a top student. She graduated in 1977. Patti later attended Weber State University where she majored in nursing and received her BS in Gerontology. She was a member of Weber State's first women's golf team. While in college, Patti enjoyed caddying for her dad in several golf tournaments on the senior tour including the US Senior Open. She met her husband, Wayne Beck, at Weber State and they were married on Oct. 19, 1984. She always said she married her best friend. They were later sealed in the St. George temple on April 9, 2004. Patti and Wayne moved to St. George in 1986 where she worked as a nurse at the Dixie Regional Medical Center for over 20 years. She became a charge nurse as well as a house supervisor and continued her nursing education eventually becoming a board certified orthopedic nurse. Her boss said Patti went above and beyond for all of her patients and co-workers. She gave her all, ALL of the time! Patti later taught golf lessons to high school girls in St. George which was the beginning of the girls' golf program in Southern Utah. Patti also had a VERY soft heart for animals and loved her dogs like children. She was a friend to so many people and was always ready to help out. Most recently she started helping neighborhood children by walking them home after school. Spending time with these precious children, Paisley, Jaynee, Hannah, Avery, and Carson, became one of the great joys of her life. Patti is survived by her husband, Wayne Beck; her parents, Tommy and Betty Williams; her sister, Sheri Branson; her mother in law, Wanda Beck; and numerous brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, and her dog, Nike. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Jerry Hagan and all of Patti's doctors for the care they have provided in the past several years. She will be missed by all those whom she has touched.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at the Metcalf Mortuary, 288 W. St. George Blvd, where friends and family may call both Tuesday 6-8 p.m. and Wednesday 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment: Tonaquint Cemetery.