Patsy A. Thomas

Patsy Ruth Ayers (Patsy A. Thomas) was born on August 18, 1941 to Mary Catherine (Vallone) & Preston Lee Ayers in Houston, TX, and went to be with Jesus on October 11, 2024. From a very young age, she went against the grain, swimming upstream in a house that told her to go with the flow. She was a strong and independent woman in every sense. This was evident throughout her entire life as she overcame extreme challenges while achieving great success in her career and personal life.

She lived many lives in her one long life, including (but not limited to) working for Shell Oil and building up an Oil Field Equipment business with Lynn E. Thomas, as well as being a personal assistant to Frank Lorenzo at Continental Airlines in Houston and owning her own retail gift shop, “Anticipation.” In Austin, she worked for Michael Dell at Dell Computers, and for 15 years at The University of Texas in both the Honors and Theater & Dance departments.

Later in life, when faced with not being able to follow her calling into ministry through the Baptist church, she shifted careers again and completed her Course of Study at Perkins School of Theology at SMU. She became a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church, and finished her career as Associate Pastor in charge of Congregational Care at St. John's UMC in Austin (where they “forced her to retire” at the age of 75). She worked for a few more years in retail in the NW Austin area, but until the very end she was still wishing she could serve a church somehow.

However, what she was most proud of was her son and his family, including her daughter-in-law, her grandkids & their spouses, and her two great-grandsons. She loved them fiercely, touching their lives in many ways, and devoted her kind heart to all the people she cared about. Not only was she loving, but also fun and creative. She used to build “food roads” and have sleepovers with her grandchildren, and made up “number songs” that she would sing to herself. She had a very tender heart, and cut the guns off her son’s army men. When she watched “The Sound Of Music” with her grandchildren, she turned it off before the Nazis came because “it was better that way.”

Pat(sy) lived love in every way. She endured many hardships, including losing her second child to a heart condition at 3 years old and experiencing two divorces. She had every reason to feel beaten down and angry, unloved by God and the world. But instead, she lived with kindness, optimism and joy.

She had a love for Jesus that persisted until her last day. She lived out God’s message to “love thy neighbor as thyself” to its fullest, pouring into her friends and family, as well as a group of tenth grade girls she had the privilege to mentor as a volunteer at First Baptist Church in Houston.

Everyone who knew her knew Pat(sy) was kind and authentic … and a bit quirky. She was beautifully different, filled with the Holy Spirit, but strong as hell. She will be dearly missed as a beloved mom, nana, friend, and pastor.

She is preceded in death by her son Larry Alan Nettles, her Mother & Daddy, and her first cousin and best friend, Rocco Nash “Buddy” Costa. She is survived by her brother T.J. Ayers, sister Sandy Spikes, son Randall Everitt “Randy” Nettles, daughter-in-law Elizabeth D. Nettles, grandchildren Douglas Alan (& Matraca) Nettles, Mary Katherine “Kate” Nettles, John Matthew (& Emma) Nettles, and great-grandchildren Paxton & Eli Nettles.

Patsy’s family would like to thank both the memory care staff at The Enclave at Cedar Park and the people of Suncrest Hospice - Austin for the wonderful care they provided to her.

Please join us in celebrating her life at the:

MEMORIAL SERVICE

2:30pm, Friday, October 25th

Good News Methodist Church

1610 E. New Hope Dr.

Leander, TX 78641

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

3:00pm, Saturday, October 26th

Earthman Resthaven Cemetery

13102 North Fwy.

Houston, TX 77060

“Her lord said to her, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:23 NKJV