Patricia Elyse Terrell

Patricia Terrell was born on September 5, 1951, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the eldest of three children born to Elizabeth and A.J. Terrell. When she was ten years old, her family journeyed West to California, settling in the sun-drenched town of Corona del Mar, the place that would shape her adventurous spirit and love of the outdoors.

A woman of rare gifts, Patricia possessed both intellectual brilliance and social grace. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Relations at Chapman University by the age of twenty, then pursued a career in banking, finance, and real estate. Yet her greatest aspiration was motherhood. In 1980, she welcomed her beloved son Phillip, they embarked on an extraordinary adventure crossing the Atlantic to make their home in the alpine village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, at the foot of the Zugspitze, the tallest peak of continental Europe. It was her passion for skiing that first ignited her love of travel, taking her to mountains all around the world.

A profound spiritual experience transformed Patricia's life, leading her to deep Christian faith. This calling inspired her to pursue advanced studies in theology and human rights, earning a Master's Degree in Theology, a second Master's degree in Jurisprudence and Human Rights, and ultimately achieving her lifelong dream, a Ph.D. at the age of fifty from Baylor University, all while as a visiting researcher under Oxford's Christ church University. She served as the sole American observer at the European Council on Human Rights for many years, her life's work dedicated to the intersection of faith, ethics, and human dignity.

Patricia was also a published author, an achievement of which she was deeply proud. She wrote Empowering Discernment and Paul's Parallels, works that reflected her scholarly devotion to scripture, female rights and her desire to share that knowledge with others.

Patricia devoted twenty years to the University of California, Irvine, retiring in 2023. Throughout her life, she remained an avid cyclist, world traveler, and devoted leader of Bible study groups in her parish. Her friends spanned the globe from France to Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Patricia is survived by her son Phillip, her grandchildren Enzo and Lara, her sister Marilee, her brother Scott. Her legacy lives on in those she loved—her son and grandchildren have already visited over fifty countries, carrying forward her spirit of adventure and her faith that nothing is impossible.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9

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