Patricia D. Gault

Pat was born October 3, 1947, in Hampton, Virginia to the late Stanley C. and Denese Olin. It was in the sleepy community of Hampton that Pat would create and eventually recount many of her fondest memories. Fishing, crabbing, playing pirates, picnic lunches with friends, and spending time with neighbors filled her early days. The friendships that were forged in the “neighborhood” would be lifelong.

She graduated from Hampton High school and attended college for four years at Weslyn University in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She completed her bachelor’s degree in secondary education (language arts) in 1969. She would go on to earn her teaching certificate from Hampon Institute in 1970.

Pat married Ronald Wayne Gault on June 13, 1969, in Trenton, GA. Her early married life was punctuated by excitement, adventure and the occasional substitute teaching gig as she traveled with her husband, opening new World Bazaars locations across the county. She would eventually settle down and begin her career teaching English and Art in both junior and senior high school in Fayetteville, TN. It was in this small community that she dedicated her life to inspiring countless students through the power of language and the magic of storytelling. Pat was a beloved English teacher at Lincoln Co. High School for 40 years, where she ignited passion for literature, critical thinking, and a love of learning in her students. She was known for her captivating readings of Shakespeare, her engaging discussions of classic novels, and her unwavering belief in each student’s potential. Beyond the classroom, Pat was an active reader, a keen gardener, and a loving wife and mother. She loved to watch and read the news and was always eager to discuss world events with anyone who would listen. Genealogy was another favorite pursuit. Family history and lineage were important to her. She would jokingly comment, “You know our people are related to Marie Antoinette and Napoléon, and you know how that turned out!”

Throughout the years, Pat kept in close contact with her sister Jan Miller and lifelong neighborhood friend Fred Gustafson via phone call or letter on a weekly basis. Pat would talk for hours discussing childhood memories, family updates, current events, and projects around the house. Whenever Pat didn’t answer the phone, she would always receive a follow up letter from Jan and Fred asking, “Why are you not answering your phone?”. With every holiday (big or small), Pat would always mail greeting cards to loved ones. Pat would mail Christmas presents the first week of November to make sure the gifts would arrive in time for Christmas, every year.

Pat’s husband, Ron, preceded her in death December 27, 1998. She would continue to teach until her retirement in 2012. In 2021, Pat moved to Greenville, SC to live with her son Jason and his husband Ludwig “Andre” Rogers Jr. She passed quietly away on Wednesday July 30, 2025, under hospice care surrounded by those she loved.

Her legacy will continue to live on through the countless lives she touched, forever echoing in the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege of knowing and learning from her.