Patricia Robins Whitehead, 77 years old, passed away on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at the Duke University Hospital. She was born on October 21, 1941 in Newport News, VA into a loving family who cherished her. Patricia lived a life of grace, loving others with no reservations. She displayed enormous personal courage. Patricia was preceded in death by her father, Bernard Lee Robins of Ware Neck, VA., her mother, Rosalyn Robins of Poquoson, VA, and her niece Catherine Cary Penton of Bunbury, Australia.
Patricia is survived by her husband, Allen, and their three children: Allen III (Joyce), Gregory (Jeannine), and Elizabeth. She is also survived by her older sister Marcia Hall (Don) and her twin sister Anne Cary (Aubrey). She was a loving grandmother to four grandchildren: Christopher and Courtney Whitehead, the children of Gregory and Jeannine Whitehead; and Kathryn Johnson and Sarah Whitehead, daughters of Allen Whitehead III and stepdaughters of Joyce Whitehead.
She attended Madison College in Virginia. Patricia returned to work at NASA when her children reached their teenage years and retired from her position as Program Analyst in 1999.
Our family is forever grateful to the doctors, nurses and staff from the Duke Transplant Program. She was gifted with new lungs in November 2011, and enjoyed a full and rewarding life under the care of her Duke medical caregivers. About two years ago, she experienced the symptoms of chronic lung rejection which is an expected outcome of the lung transplant.
There will be a celebration of her life in Williamsburg, VA at the Williamsburg Community Chapel at 3 pm o’clock on Friday, January 4, 2019.
The family asks that any donations be made in Patricia’s name to Donate Life Virginia, 9200 Arboretum Pkwy #104, North Chesterfield, VA 23236 (www.donatelifevirginia.org). This is the state registry for organ, eye and tissue donation.
She will be buried in a family plot at Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Online condolences for the family may be expressed at www.nelsencares.com.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18