Patsy Deanna Collins

That’s it. That’s what our mom wanted her obituary to say.

So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get on to what we want to say.

Our mom was freaking awesome.

She was wickedly funny. Strong. A master of crossword puzzles. Determined. Humble. Quiet. A lover of animals and music, particularly Motown, Patsy Cline and old-fashioned country. A truth-teller. A bridge player. She was extremely private. She had a coach-like understanding of basketball, baseball and football. She was sassy. A great friend to people who looked and thought like her – and many more who didn’t. She happily suffered from extreme bibliophilia.

Mom carried herself with an uncommon dignity.

Our mom, Patsy Deanna Collins, was born April 10, 1944, in Memphis. She went to be with her God on Dec. 11, 2020. In Heaven she’s being reunited with her parents, Wallace N. and Jean Carpit Collins, her sister, Beverly (Collins) Dale, and her brother, Michael Collins. We’re pretty sure they’ve having a raucous party right about now.

She was an amazing mom to us, her three daughters – Kim (Cordell) Cherry, Juliet (Cordell) Barnum and Gina Cordell (Paul Gahn). She was an awesome Gran to Collin Cherry, Madison (Barnum) Bass (Kyle Bass), Whitney Paige Barnum and Ellis Gahn. Following the untimely death of mom’s sister Beverly, mom was a wonderful second mother to her niece, Shannon (Dale) Hiskey, and her daughters, Avery Hiskey and Alisha Jane Hiskey. Although the marriage only lasted 22 (!) years, our dad, Neal Cordell, would tell you she was a doggone great wife.

Mom knew how to know people. She was still close with friends from her first grade class at A.B Hill Elementary and her high school class at Southside High School. (We’ll let you do that math.)

She was proud to be a second-generation (at least) Presbyterian. She was an active volunteer with Balmoral Presbyterian, Meals on Wheels and the old First Tennessee Memphis Marathon. She loved to travel with her friends and her family.

Mom bragged about growing up in South Memphis, where her happiest memories included getting tamales with her family every Saturday. Mom preferred hers with ketchup and saltines, just like her dad.

She loved to cook and spend time in the kitchen with her grandkids. As tiny as she was, she had a voracious appetite. She loved sandwiches with cottage cheese and cold pork and beans (yikes!).

Christmas with our mom was huge. Though our hearts will be heavy every year at this time, we’ll do our darndest to celebrate as big as she did.

Mom taught us that any kind of work is noble work. And work she did – sometimes three jobs at a time. But strangely, we never felt neglected. We admired her. Heck, sometimes we even forgot she worked.

And speaking of working, our mom’s true calling was as a teacher. She taught Sunday school for years. And drivers education for Memphis City Schools for 43 years. She learned American Sign Language so she could teach d/Deaf and hearing impaired students to drive. At one point we calculated that she taught more than 5,000 Memphians to drive – just the good drivers, of course.

And now mom will continue teaching, even in death. She donated her body to the Genesis Donor Program through the Medical Education and Research Institute. MERI will respectfully use her body to give medical professionals hands-on experience in the latest medical techniques and technologies. Once she’s finished teaching that final time, we’ll receive her ashes so we can spread them as she wished – at the site of the former Leonard’s Barbecue in South Memphis, along the beach and at her church and a few of her other favorite places. We’ll blow bubbles and joyfully sing Jesus Loves Me, just as she wanted.

Mom taught us that you show up. If you get an invitation to a wedding, a shower, a graduation – you show up. If there’s a funeral, you show up. We hate that COVID will prevent many from showing up for her final party, but we certainly understand. Mom will be a little relieved, because we all know she hated to be fussed over.

Of course we mourn our mom. If you knew her, you would, too. But our hearts are full with the joy she put there. We’ll see you soon, mom. Keep the party going till we get there.

The family will receive friends and celebrate Patsy's life on Tuesday, December 22 from 4:00-6:00 PM, at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue.

The family requests any memorial donations be directed to the Humane Society of Memphis, 935 Farm Rd, Memphis, TN 38134 or YWCA Abused Women's Services Shelter, 766 S. Highland Street, Memphis, TN 38111.