Patricia B. Flahive

Patricia “Patsy” Blease Flahive peacefully departed this earthly life on Friday, February 17, 2017 surrounded by her family. By the strength she found in her unshakable faith in Jesus Christ she had persevered through many physical challenges since suffering a heart attack November 15, 2015.

Patsy was born April 6, 1942 in Batesburg, South Carolina to F.W. and Elizabeth Blease. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Wain Blease. She is survived by her husband Joe after 53 years of marriage and her three children and their spouses; Sharon and Scott Cain, Amy and Lynn Alderson, David and Joanna Flahive and 7 grandchildren; Catherine, Lauren and Caroline Cain, Caitlyn, Drake and Amanda Alderson, and Eloisa Flahive.

Patsy grew up in South Carolina before moving to Dallas, Texas her senior year of high school. She considered the move to be almost the worst thing to possibly happen in her life until, by the providence of God, she met an adventurous young man named Joe Flahive on a blind date Christmas Eve in 1959.  This would begin a four-year period of dating where God knit their hearts together culminating in marriage January 21, 1964.

After graduating from high school, Patsy attended East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas where she graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1964. The early years of marriage would present a number of challenges where Patsy proved again and again to be a faithful and supporting wife to Joe and their children; four years of Navy life during Viet Nam living on an enlisted man’s salary with Sharon their first child, then two years working with the Texas Department of Agriculture helping support Joe through Engineering School soon after bringing Amy into the world, followed by a move to Bastrop in 1976 to begin a new life in a rural setting and celebrating the birth of her son David.  The adventures didn’t end there, as Joe embarked on beginning a new engineering business.  Through the years of the business Patsy filled a number of administrative roles but more than anything else served as a wonderful mom to her children and an encourager to Joe.  Patsy’s life took a dramatic shift in the summer of 1988 when she suffered a brain aneurism and resulting stroke, which would leave her partially handicapped for the rest of her life.  Through all these events, which many might consider very difficult, Patsy always remained positive, a loving, caring and supportive wife and mother.

Two aspects of her life in which she gained the greatest joy can perhaps best summarize Patsy’s life.  The first of these occurred in the summer of 1980 when by the grace of God she came to a personal faith in Jesus Christ.  It was in the spring of that same year that Joe had similarly known the grace of God leading to a saving faith in Jesus.  Both of their lives would change forever from that point on, as they would continue to grow in their love for God, for one another and their children.  Through the years she exhibited a fervent love for the church and her friends by sending innumerable cards of encouragement and tirelessly calling those she sensed were in need of love and care.  Patsy’s entire life was a testimony of the gentleness, compassion and love of God toward those in need.

The second aspect of Patsy’s life in which she found the greatest joy was that of being a mother to her three children and grandmother to seven grandchildren.  Perhaps the words from the 31 ^st Proverb best portray this beautiful, kind, gracious lady, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her Husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”