Doris P. Voyles

Mary Doris Patterson Voyles was born in Hopewell, KY on April 6, 1924 and she died peacefully in her sleep with family by her bedside at Huntcliff Summit in Sandy Springs on the afternoon of March 3, 2011. She was the daughter of Lillian Nichols Patterson of Harrodsburg, KY and Andrew Garnet Patterson, a Hopewell, KY native and community businessman.

Doris Patterson Voyles, known as “Pat” to her many friends and family members, grew up in Harrodsburg, KY, a community founded in 1775, the first permanent settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. Following an early graduation from high school at age 16 (where she was the valedictorian of her class), she moved to Louisville, KY and attended Stratford Business College in 1940. Following the beginning of World War II, Pat worked in an administrative position at a local shipping company which manufactured “LST” landing craft along the Ohio River, which boats would later be made famous in the island hopping campaign employed by General MacArthur in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Following the end of World War II, Pat moved to Wright Field in Dayton, OH where she worked as administrative assistant to the chief of the Air Force flight test division. There she met a young Army Air Force test pilot, James Homer Voyles, Jr., from Morrow, GA, whom she would soon fall in love with. Following a short engagement, they were married in October, 1947 and remained married until his death in April, 1985.

Pat had four children, whom she loved deeply, and spent her career as a homemaker, taking care of her husband and children as they moved over 17 times during James’ career in the Air Force and later as a senior executive with the Lockheed-California Company. From homes as distant as southern California to Washington, DC and at one point within 100 miles of the border of East Germany at the height of the Cold War, Pat embraced the adventure, and kept the home fires burning.

Pat made friends easily. Her activities centered around her family, and she made no apologies for it. Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA’s, fundraisers, sporting events, and piano lessons were a small part of her schedule. Later in life following her husband’s retirement from Lockheed, and their move to Atlanta in 1980, Pat became involved in the North Fulton Republican Women’s Club and the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. Pat was also a member of Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church for 20 years, and spent the last 10 years as a member of Church of the Apostles. Always positive, and constantly the peacemaker, her place was always beside her husband and her children, and Pat enjoyed travel with Jim on many occasions to visit friends in Europe, Alaska, and many other points around the United States. Pat had a deep faith in Christ, which strengthened and sustained her throughout the many ups and downs of her life.

Pat Voyles was predeceased by her husband of 38 years, Colonel James Homer Voyles, Jr., USAF Retired, an infant sister Virginia Nichols Patterson, and her sister Billie Jean Patterson of Tifton, GA. Pat is survived by her sisters Beatrice Tatum of Harrodsburg, KY, and Helen Tracy of Grand Island, Nebraska, her sister-in-law, Betty Voyles of Sandy Springs, brother-in-law, John Voyles and his wife Bonita of Monticello, GA, and her four children, James Homer Voyles, III, Robert Patterson Voyles and Leslie Ann Voyles Nigh, all of Atlanta, and Patricia Louise Voyles of Santa Clarita, California. She is also survived by daughters-in-law, Belle Schroder Voyles, Susan Foster Voyles, and son-in-law John Russell Nigh, together with 9 grandchildren, Andrew Patterson Voyles, Mary Elizabeth Voyles, Virginia Voyles Tester, Kathryn Voyles Searle, Kelly Spalding Voyles, James Schroder Voyles, Brittany Nicole Nigh, Jonathan Matthew Nigh and Sarah Ann Voyles, two grandsons-in-law, Cameron Edward Kenning Searle, and Matthew Scott Tester, and one great grandchild, Naomi Jane Tester.

Memorial services for Pat Voyles will be held at Church of the Apostles at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, with the Reverend Stan Carder and Dr. Robert C. Marsh officiating. There will be a reception at the church immediately following the services, with internment afterwards at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Pat’s honor are requested to be made directly to either Young Life Expeditions (account # 3228) and mailed to Young Life Service Center, 420 N. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 or to Leading the Way, and mailed to P.O. Box 20100, Atlanta, GA 30325.