Patricia "Pat" T. Erford

Patricia “Pat” T. Erford, 64, of Springfield, died at 4:10 p.m. on Friday, January 15, 2021 at Heritage Health in Springfield. She died from complications associated with frontal lobe dementia. Pat had been a resident at Heritage Health since July 2016.

Pat was born April 15, 1956, in Kirkwood, MO, the daughter of Vincent and Josephine Truitt. She married Randy P. Erford on December 13, 1979, in Naperville, IL.

Pat grew up in suburban St. Louis: Des Peres, MO and attended Catholic schools. She graduated from Visitation Academy located in St. Louis County, MO in 1973 and earned her associate degree from Meramec Community College. As an adult, Pat took college classes for many years and in 1996 when she was 40 years old received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Management from the University of Illinois-Springfield.

She worked over the years in positions with law enforcement, law, banking, telecommunications, retail, advertising, and as a librarian. Pat was a switchboard operator, a police and fire dispatcher, assistant director of a city credit union, a retail clerk in a children’s clothing shop, with a large retailer, in several bookstores, as an office manager for an advertising agency and later for a lobbyist firm, and eventually for a period of eight years as the founding director of the West Sangamon Public Library in New Berlin, IL. She read extensively throughout her life and also enjoyed gardening.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband, Randy Erford of Springfield; daughter, Brenna M. Erford and grandson, Alexander Burch of Fredericksburg, VA; and sister, Kathleen Reilly of Springfield.

Cremation was provided by Butler Cremation Tribute Center.

Memorial Gathering: Family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St., Springfield. A Memorial Ceremony will follow at 11:00 a.m. with Celebrant Judy Woerner officiating. Family and friends may stream the ceremonies HERE

Memorial contributions may be made to the West Sangamon Public Library, 112 E. Illinois St., New Berlin, IL 62670 or the Art Express Program at the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders of the SIU School of Medicine, P.O. Box 19620, Springfield, IL 62794-9620.