Patricia King Meeks was born in Selma, Alabama, on February 27, 1945, and died on April 17, 2016. She is survived by her parents, Kenyon and Lorraine Meeks of Germantown Plantation; her brother, Kenyon Meeks, Jr. and his wife Jane, of Jamestown, North Carolina; two nephews Joshua Meeks of Largo, Florida and Ian Meeks of Waynesville, North Carolina; her uncle Wayne Meeks and his wife, Judith Colton of New Hampton, Connecticut and Charlemont, Massachusetts; and three cousins, Suzanne Meeks of Louisville, Kentucky, Edith Meeks, of New York, New York, and Ellen Meeks of Livermore, California.

Pat grew up in Aliceville, Alabama, and graduated from high school there in 1963. She attended Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with distinction in June 1967, and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She attained a Master’s Degree from Indiana University in June 1969. She began her working career as an English Professor at La Grange College in La Grange, Georgia, but quickly returned to her adopted home of Memphis, Tennessee, to develop a varied bank of skills in work with Acacia Mutual Insurance Company, Tenn-Ark-Miss Girl Scout Council, CETA, the City of Memphis, the Private Industry Council, Shepherd Center, and State Tech/Southwest Community College. In June 2007 she was employed as Executive Director of Grants and Compliance with Memphis Bioworks Foundation where she continued until her retirement in April 2016. In every context she demonstrated her creative and organizational skills with a keen sensitivity to the needs of people. She always sought for excellence in whatever she undertook and never fully grasped the positive impact her work had on other people and causes.

In June 1982, Pat was married to Shelby Coats of Tipton, Tennessee, even though their marriage ended in divorce in 1994. It was in this period that the outreach ministries of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bartlett, Tennessee, reached out to her. There she found meaningful spiritual support as well as additional outlets for her creative gifts. At Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church she served more than one term as Elder, was a Sunday School teacher, and The Great Banquet of Emmaus Road. She also served as a commissioner to the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Through this association she was also invited to become a member of the Board of Memphis Theological Seminary until her illness made impossible for her to continue to serve. Anyone familiar with Pat knew of her love of cats who, as she was clear to admit, owned her rather than her owning them. Following in the footsteps of her paternal grandmother, the cats who chose to adopt her included Delilah, Callie, Annie, Maluki, Charlie, Skeezix, and Leo.

The family wishes to express their deepest appreciation to Boston Baskin Cancer Center, in particular Dr. Sal Vasireddy and his very supportive staff for their care, Comfort Keepers, Trinity Baptist Hospice and Baptist Reynolds Hospice House in Collierville for their sensitive and compassionate care.

A memorial Service is scheduled to be held at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 3427 Appling Road, Bartlett, Tennessee, 38133 at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2016. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church , Memphis Theological Seminary, 168 E. Pkwy S, Memphis, Tennessee; Baptist Reynold Hospice House, 1520 W Poplar Avenue, Collierville, Tennessee, 38017, or the charity of one’s choice.