Patricia Long “String” Passailaigue, 97, of Columbus, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 5, 2026 at the Villas of Spring Harbor in Columbus.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 9th, 2026 at Trinity Episcopal Church with a reception to follow at the church and a private family interment at Parkhill Cemetery.
Mrs. Passailaigue, wife of the late Jack M. Passailaigue, Jr., was an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, education, civic, cultural, and service efforts through her support of global charity initiatives. Her life centered on her family and friends, notably including her membership in “The Bridge Club,” a group of lifelong friends who met regularly to play contract bridge for over 75 years. Her former home in Ellerslie at “Pass Times Farm” with her late husband “Jackie” Passailaigue, is a bird lover’s haven of flower gardens she tended lovingly. She enjoyed family trips to nearby beaches, listening to, singing, and playing classical and modern music. She especially loved sunsets at her country home and at the ocean. She was a lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Church. An accomplished artist recognized regionally, particularly in the medium of watercolor, String both sold and donated many paintings to various charitable and fundraising efforts including those for Brookstone School, the Junior League Attic Sale, and the Columbus Museum.
String Passailaigue was born Patricia Howard Long in Columbus on November 17, 1928, daughter of Mr. William Jelks Long and Patsy Howard Long. She attended Wynnton Elementary School and Columbus High School, Gulf Park College in Gulfport, Mississippi, and later was graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She held a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Columbus State University. As a schoolteacher of 30 years’ experience, Mrs. Passailaigue was devoted to her first and second grade students, and excelled as an art educator. She was rewarded with Commendations for Excellence in Teaching by the Georgia Independent Schools Association, was awarded the Outstanding Teacher at Brookstone School chosen by the faculty on several occasions, and was also chosen Outstanding Teacher several times by the Headmaster of Brookstone School. After teaching at Johnson Elementary School, Mrs. Passailaigue joined the faculty of the then-Trinity School. She was a member of the founding committee which planned the formation of Brookstone School from Trinity School and then joined Brookstone as one of its initial faculty members. She was instrumental in the formation of the Philosophy of School for Brookstone. She continued her dedication to the development of the school as a member of the Accreditation Committee and as a charter member of the Brookstone School Board of Visitors.
At Trinity Episcopal Church, Mrs. Passailaigue was a Sunday School teacher, a founding member of the Lucy Shepherd Guild, a regular supporter of the Flower Guild, and a member of the Altar Guild. At the University of Georgia, she was a founding member of the Delta Upsilon chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. She was a sustaining member Emeritus of the Junior League of Columbus, and a member of the Colonial Dames of America, Georgia chapter. As a member of the Junior League, Mrs. Passailaigue served as Treasurer, Placement Chair, and Provisional Chair. She especially found working for the League’s Speech School rewarding, and was a tireless worker for the Junior League Attic Sale fundraiser.
Mrs. Passailaigue’s activities in the Columbus community focused on the arts, education, and historic preservation. She was a past president of the Junto Study Club, a member of the Columbus Museum, Historic Columbus, the Dogwood Garden Club, the Women’s Reading Club, past president of the Wynn House, the Columbus Artists’ Guild, and the Joseph House Art Gallery.
String Passailaigue was previously the wife of Roy Clayton Smisson, Jr. of Columbus who passed away in 1977. She was then married to Robert Lawrence Rudulph, Jr., also of Columbus. “Larry” Rudulph passed away in 1992, and the then Mrs. Rudulph married Jack M. “Jackie” Passailaigue, Jr. in 1995. She is survived by her two daughters, Patsy Long “Patti” Smisson Simkins (Mark) and Mary Evelyne “Mary Lynne” Smisson Cumiskey (Chuck.) She leaves behind her grandchildren, Molly Patricia Simkins, Lucile Ann “Lucy” Long Simkins Sturtz, Clarissa Zenith Simkins, and Charles Joseph “Charlie” Cumiskey III, as well as the late Mary Rudulph “Rudi” Cumiskey Pierson (Justin.) She is also survived by her four stepdaughters, Martha Passailaigue Miller (Gary,) Laura Passailaigue Porter, “J” Passailaigue Mize (Carter,) and DeeDee Passailaigue Tebeau (Tom.)
Mrs. Passailaigue and her family wish to extend heartfelt thanks to her devoted caregivers, Shonda Williams, Earnestine Smith, Patricia Watts, Lynn Missildine, Tressie Hudson, Verseca Buntin, Kendra Carter, Pamela Forrester, Pamela Holmes, Edith Hinton, Willie Mae Ford, Marion Lessie Hart, and Frank Culpepper. Her family wishes to gratefully acknowledge the extraordinary care provided by Empyrean Hospice and her nurse Taylor White and LCSW Keldin Jones.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made in honor of Mrs. Passailaigue to the donors’ favorite charity, to Paws Humane, Brookstone School, Trinity Episcopal Church, or Historic Columbus.
