Patricia O'Melia

She was the wife of the late William R. O’Melia, mother to Steve O’Melia, sister to Jean Morgan and Rita Cooper, and aunt to Claire Anstey, Stuart Cooper and Gail Cooper. Through marriage, she was also sister-in-law to Jane O’Melia and aunt to Rhonda Anderson and Terry O’Melia.

Along the way Pat and Bill made some fantastic friends but, most notably and recently are Pasquale and Annette Barizone and their children Domenique and Pasquale Jr., Paul and Barbie Lyons and their children Matt and Tim and Bob and Geraldine McClintock. She considered all of them her adopted kids and they considered her their adopted mother. They all helped immeasurably after Bill passed away and she was forever grateful to all of them.

Pat spent many years alongside her husband Bill during his service in the United States Air Force, the Valdosta, GA Police Department, and more than 20 years working with the FAA in New York. After retiring in 1998, they settled in Las Vegas—escaping the cold, as Pat liked to say, because “you don’t have shovel the weather in Las Vegas.”

Known for her great sense of humor and the ability to quietly impart sage advice and words of wisdom, Pat gave generously of her time to many volunteer efforts throughout her life. She began as a Cub Scout pack leader and baseball team mom and went on to support countless causes. She was particularly proud of her role in helping launch Helping Hands of Vegas Valley in 1999, where she drove seniors to appointments, and wrote grant proposals to expand services. Today, that volunteer organization has grown far beyond what Pat could have imagined 25 years ago—a lasting legacy of her commitment to helping others.

Pat loved adventure and travel. She lived in at least 17 different places, visited numerous countries, and traveled hundreds of miles in the West, bouncing around in Steve’s Jeep. One of those trips was the Schafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park—a narrow, five mile switchback road clinging to a cliff face dropping 1000 feet. Her fear of heights was rivaled only by the vise-like grip she kept on the Jeep’s “oh-shit” handle—an interior grab handle now known as P.O.S.H.( Pat’s Oh-Shit Handle). Both Pat and Steve survived the descent—and celebrated with lunch at the bottom of the canyon.

Over her 89 years, Pat accomplished much and experienced things most people never consider. She lived from 1936-2025, living the dash in between to the fullest.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Helping Hands of Vegas Valley in Patricias' name.

https://hhovv.org/donate/