Patricia Lee Willson Mick

“There’s always a positive”. That’s what Pat frequently said and how she lived her life, including her last 17 years when she was afflicted with Parkinson’s disease. She passed away peacefully on September 17, 2024 at Claridge Court, a senior living community in Prairie Village, Kansas where she lived in her final years.

Parkinson’s affected Pat’s voice which made it difficult for her to communicate, but her generous spirit showed through her smile, and she was universally loved and admired by other Claridge Court residents, her family and her many other friends.

Pat was born prematurely in Joplin, Missouri on November 27, 1935, the youngest of three children born of Abner and Louise Deatherage. Her first crib was a dresser drawer. An eye dropper served up her early life sustenance. She had two older siblings, Abner Edward, known as Ed, and Margaret. .

Pat attended Joplin public schools where in high school she was an honor student, editor of the yearbook, honorary Cadet Colonel of the ROTC, first violinist in the school orchestra, cheerleader and homecoming queen candidate. Following graduation she attended the University of Missouri where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

Pat graduated college in 1957 with a major in elementary education and a specialty in special education. Following graduation she taught second grade in the Shawnee Mission, Kansas School District. Within a year thereafter she met and married John Willson. Several years later John, with Pat at his side, founded and operated Branded Emblem Company, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

Pat and John had four children, Shawn, David, Alise and Mark. They all benefited from Pat’s active involvement in parenting. She took a strong interest in activities in support of their school, at one time serving as president of the PTA. Her support outside of school went so far as donning a catcher’s mitt so that her son, Mark, could practice his baseball pitching by throwing to her in the back yard. Another family activity was an annual ski trip to Colorado. Pat cheerfully and firmly assumed the duties of shepherding her children in their encounters with the slopes.

Athletic prowess was a hallmark of Pat’s family. Pat enjoyed tennis; her husband, John, was a star football player at the University of Missouri and her brother Ed scored the winning basket for Joplin High in the State basketball championship game. Later he received a bonus from the Yankees as a baseball pitcher. Three of her four children attended college on athletic scholarships.

Pat’s children were also stellar students and went on to have distinguished careers. Shawn became a psychiatrist. Building on the foundation John laid with Branded Emblem Company, David and Mark formed a new apparel company called Camp David. That company has operated successfully for 30 years. Alise, who lives in Oklahoma City became a teacher. She developed a program called “Education ALIVE” to support public schools and homeschoolers through curriculum enrichment,

After all their children had departed for college, John and Pat acquired Jay’s Uniforms, a uniform store supplying first responders and health care workers. Pat owned and managed Jay’s for 25 years. She was known for her generous and compassionate relationships with the firemen and police officers who became her customers, helping to lift their spirits in times of grief.

John passed away in 1993. Five years later, Pat married Howard Mick, a Kansas City lawyer. The couple shared many good times together, vacationing with friends in Palm Desert, on Hilton Head Island and in Europe.

Pat’s Parkinson’s symptoms first appeared in 2007. In 2015 Pat and Howard moved into an apartment at Claridge Court. A few years later, as her Parkinson’s symptoms advanced, Pat moved into the Claridge Court Health Center where she lived out her life.

Although their living quarters were separated, Howard and Pat were able to continue with an active calendar of events, having dinner in their apartment or the main dining room with friends and attending church and family gatherings.

In addition to her first husband, John, Pat was predeceased by her parents and two siblings. She is survived by Howard, her four children, Shawn Willson; Alise (Jerry) Day; Mark (Bethanie) Willson; and David (Holly) Willson. Three stepdaughters, Martha (John) Kaiser; Julie (Greg) Hoefer and Lisa (Neil) Barnett also survived her.

Pat also holds a special place in the heart of her Niece, Mimi Brown, whose mother, Pat’s sister passed away when Mimi was 10 years old. Ever since, Pat served as a second mother to Mimi. In addition to Mimi, two nephews, Clay and Carter Deatherage survived Pat.

Pat was very proud of her 16 grandchildren and her recently born great-grandson. She was also “Grandma Pat” to Howard’s ten grandchildren, all of whom loved her dearly. At dinners with friends Pat delighted in asking them to guess how many grandchildren she and Howard had. The guesses were always low.

A celebration of life will be held at Second Presbyterian Church, 55th and Oak Streets in Kansas City, Missouri at 2:00pm on Saturday, October 5, 2024. The family wishes to express their gratitude for the loving care Pat received from the nurses and caregivers at Claridge Court and Ascend Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Church or Salvation Army.