Patricia Pike

Patricia “Pat” Ann Pike passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at the age of 96. Patricia was born in Houston, Texas on December 23, 1929 to Herbert Walter Vacher and Hildegard Gertrude Schwabe. As a child, she lived in Pachuca, Mexico while her father worked for Royal Dutch Oil. After returning to Houston, Texas, Patricia attended and graduated from Lamar High School in 1947. She attended St. Joseph's School of Nursing and graduated as a registered nurse (RN) in 1951and went on to work at St. Joseph Hospital until starting her own family. Patricia was married to Dr. John Millard Pike for 69 years and had six children. In 1953, along with her first two children, Herb and Susan, she boarded the U.S.S. General William Mitchell and sailed to Okinawa, Japan to be with her husband, John, while he was serving in the Korean War.

After her children were grown, she returned to work for a few years as a nurse to Level 1 & 2 newborn babies at Memorial Southwest. Patricia was an active member of the Houston Embroiderer’s Guild, creating many beautiful pieces over the years. She enjoyed different styles of sewing, even teaching her granddaughters how to needlepoint, cross stitch and make basic pieces of clothing from patterns bought at the fabric store. Patricia also enjoyed playing Bridge, spending time with family, traveling and being outdoors. She and John spent summers in Halletsville, Texas, at their country house they built with the help of family and friends. The farm, named ‘Tooth Achers’ as a moniker to John’s career as a dentist, was a place for the family to gather, relax, fish at the pond, cook fish from the days catch, tend to the cows, pick Muscadine grapes to make grape jelly, ride horses, work on her stitching, and read. She got great joy out of watching wildlife, pointing out the different birds that visited the feeder, giggling at the busy movements of squirrels in the backyard, and at the farm, looking out for an appearance from a deer, rabbit, turtles and more.

Patricia was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Hilda Vacher, her husband, John Millard Pike, D.D.S., her daughter, Susan Pike, her son, John Patrick Pike and her great-granddaughter, Natalie Brackett. She is survived by her children, Herb Pike, Theresa Jones, John Michael Pike, Mary Pike, her granddaughters, Sondra Langland, Juliet Brackett, Nicole Pike, her great-grandchildren, Lauren Langland, Sarah Langland,Avery Brackett, Jamison Prochnow, and great great-grandson, Jackson Lynch.

The family would like to thank her caregivers, staff members, doctors and nurses at Clarewood House, especially Molly, with whom she developed a special relationship.

A small service for the family will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025 at Forest Park Lawndale, 6900 Lawndale St. in Houston. The viewing will begin at 1:00 P.M. and the graveside service will be at 2:00 P.M.