Patricia R Godley

She is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Robert “Bob”, her daughter Kim (Tom), her son Peter as well as her son Mark (Amy) and their two children, Callie and Ashton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Hazel Riley, as well as both of her siblings, Joan Riley Shea and Jim Riley.

Pat was born in Rochester, Minnesota. After a year of college, she headed west to San Diego, California, where she met Bob, a Navy jet fighter pilot from Charlotte. They were soon married in Texas, where Bob was transferred to be a flight instructor. They relocated to the Charlotte area in 1957.

Pat was the consummate hostess for parties and holiday events at their home in Charlotte, where Pat and Bob were active in local ballroom dance clubs and in Newell Presbyterian Church. Pat served as the pianist for many choruses and choirs at her children’s schools and church.

After raising her children, Pat went back to college earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from Winthrop College in 1985, and worked professionally as a designer for numerous projects.

Pat and Bob travelled often to explore destinations around the globe. They were adventurers, driving their family cross-country in recreational vehicles, motoring their seagoing houseboat up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard into Canada and along the Mississippi River, flying their own airplane on hundreds of trips, and enjoying countless cruises.

Pat made sure to include their friends in their travels. Everyone relied upon Pat to create unique itineraries for their journeys together, even though her trips were not for the fainthearted. When they were in their mid-seventies, they hiked from one side of England to the other, with nothing more than a map to follow a winding footpath. It was always a challenge to keep up with Pat, who was a lifelong health and fitness enthusiast.

A memorial service will be held in the auditorium of the retirement community in which Pat and Bob lived, followed by a reception at the same location. All are welcome on Monday, March 18, 2019, starting at 3 PM at 606 Birch View Drive, Matthews, NC 28105.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Western North Carolina (www.alz.org/northcarolina/donate) or Hospice and Palliative Care of the Charlotte Region (https://hpccr.thankyou4caring.org/).