Patricia Ann Leo

78.

Pat is survived by her children, Kimberly Hayden of Houston, Texas; and Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Casey

Hayden, his wife Pam and their two daughters, Malin and Reid, of Fort Worth, Texas; her older brother,

Walter L. West III and his wife Chandra of Lake Havasu City, Arizona; her stepdaughters Kim Crosby and

family of Montgomery, Texas and Beth Pali and family of Spring, Texas; as well as by many nieces and

nephews.

Pat was preceded in death by her husband James Leo, her younger brother Jack West, and her parents.

Pat was born in Los Angeles, California to Walter L. West Jr. and Rita Piper West, both from

Pennsylvania. Pat and her brother Walter grew up in the area around Fontana, California when the Los

Angeles suburbs were still rural. They lived near grape vineyards, where they engaged in regular “grape

fights” with their neighborhood friends. As a child she took tap dancing lessons and loved to watch The

Mickey Mouse Club on television. As a teen she was a member of Rainbow Girls, which was part of the

Eastern Star organization. She graduated from Fontana High School in 1961, where she was a member

of the FOHI drill team. She was also a true “California Girl,” and loved the beach. After high school, she

attended Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California before marrying her first husband, Ronald

Hayden in 1964. Pat was a dedicated and loving stay-at-home mother to Kim and Casey, supporting

them in their various extra-curricular activities as they grew up. The family moved frequently, until

finally settling in Spring, Texas in March of 1977. In 1979, Pat began working for Spring ISD as a typist at

Wunsche Middle School and left the school district in 1993. In 1995 she began working for CypressFairbanks ISD and retired from Cy-Fair ISD in 2005.

After Ron and Pat divorced in 1995, Pat married James Leo in January 1997. In retirement, Pat and Jim

enjoyed a busy life which included traveling in their fifth-wheel travel trailer. They were active members

of their adult Sunday School class and participated in many Precept Bible Study classes at Spring Baptist

Church. Pat enjoyed many activities, especially crafts such as needlework, crochet, sewing, and

scrapbooking, as well as reading and gardening. Pat was also an active member of a Red Hat group.

Pat loved the music of Barbara Streisand, John Denver, and Neil Diamond, as well as watching the

“classic” MGM movie musicals starring Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Everyone who met Pat, adored her

immediately. She loved meeting new people and never met a stranger. She was the parent that many

of Kim and Casey’s friends adopted as their “Mama Pat.” Service to others was her way of serving the

Lord. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who were

blessed to know her.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association

(https://www.alz.org/?form=alz_donate)