PATRICIA LEE MENZ,

passed away peacefully surrounded by family Tuesday, April 2, 2024. She was born on March 5, 1925, in Pine Bluff, Ark., to Wendell Douglas Lee and Flora Louise Myers.

Patsy graduated with honors from Pine Bluff

High School where she was a member of the band’s herald line, and she entered Hendrix

College in the fall of 1943. In early 1944, she met a cadet, Frederick J. Menz from Sewickley, Pa., who was training to be a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Grider Field in Pine Bluff. They were married on September 9, 1944, in Austin, Texas. Fred passed away on August 10, 1994, one month before their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Patsy and Fred had six children, David (Evelyn), Barbara Bryan (Houston), Laura Harper (Ernie), Nancy Farrell (Dennis), Doug (Courtney), and Mary Scharff (Richard). Nonnie doted on 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband, Fred; her daughter, Nancy Farrell; her son-in- law, Ernie Harper; and her sister, Virginia Lee Shepherd.

Patsy was an accomplished pianist and was an organist at Holy Souls Catholic Church for 23 years. She was a voracious reader, and she always said she felt wealthiest when she had an armful of books.

She was a devoted volunteer in the Little Rock community and at Holy Souls Church and School. She felt that Boy and Girl Scouts were essential in her children’s development and was an active Brownie Scout leader and a Cub Scout Den Mother.

Patsy enjoyed playing tennis and golf and was an enthusiastic bridge player. She loved traveling the world and she and Fred visited six continents together. Determined to visit all seven continents, she sailed to Antarctica at age 84, where she easily mastered embarking and disembarking on the Zodiacs.

A special thanks goes to Emma Pierson, her caregiver, friend, and companion for the past five years, and to Arkansas Hospice, for their care and compassion.

Patsy was a wonderful wife and mother — she will be missed.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church on Friday, April 5th, 2024, at 11 a.m. with a private entombment at Calvary Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Monsignor Francis Allen Trust and Development Fund in care of Holy Souls School, 1003 N. Tyler St. Little Rock, Ark. 72205, or Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Carmel of St. Teresa of Jesus, 7201 W 32nd St., Little Rock Ark. 72204. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com.