Born in Goldsboro, N.C. on May 6, 1942, she was the daughter of the former Ann Wheatley Dees and Rigdon Osmond Dees, Jr. Patricia graduated from Greensboro High School but kept close ties with Jacksonville High School, where she attended until moving to North Carolina. She was awarded “Best Looking” by her classmates and on the heels of that accolade, she was a finalist in the Miss North Carolina Pageant in 1962. She graduated from Stratford College in Danville, Virginia, where she held the record as “the fastest typer” on campus at 143 words per minute. She began her executive assistant career for the Mayor of Raleigh, N.C. at the offices of Branch, Bank, and Trust.
In 1973 she met and married her beloved husband of 41 years, Don Krebs. She successfully enjoyed many years as a legal assistant for various corporations including The Coca Cola Corporation, where she met Don, and US Steel until her retirement in the early 1990’s, when she began two new careers, grand parenting and establishing a small business.
Pat cherished her family and loved being a grand parent to her two grandchildren, Kenny and Emily. She also had an extraordinary gift of hospitality, never meeting a stranger and always making others feel welcome, a trait she often acknowledged as being from her grandmother, May Dees. She thrived on reaching out to others with her gifts - her time, her talents, and her resources, one of which being the love of cake making! She got the bug from attending a cake decorating class at J.C. Penney’s and the rest is history! Her new business, 'Pat Krebs Cakes’ was born and has been the rage in Atlanta for the better part of 30 years. Being blessed with the rare skill in pastry design, her wedding cakes garnered national acclaim.
Patsy’s hobbies and enjoyments in life were vast. In addition to the love of family and friends, decorating her home and entertaining, she fostered her adventurous spirit with world travel. She loved cruising, exploring new lands, and spending time at her beach house in Destin, FL. However, eclipsing all of these passions, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior gave her the most remarkable and enduring joy. She always had time to tell others how much Jesus loved them just the way they were and died for their sins. She had a knack and authenticity in letting a perfect stranger know God’s love for them, keeping it simple - “He who believes in Me has everlasting life,” (John 6:47). She was active in many bible studies including Women’s Community Bible Study( WCBS) at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where she was a co-leader for many years, the Ladies bible fellowship at The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta and church prayer teams at both The Church of The Apostles and Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta. She was a member of Church of the Apostles.
Pat is survived by her husband Donald Glen Krebs; her daughters Darden Elise (Larry) Mock of Atlanta; Samantha Dees Shelton of Peachtree Corners; brother Rigdon O. Dees, III of Los Angeles; sister Carolyn Caddell of Greensboro; grandson Kenny Matthew Straus of Atlanta; granddaughter Emily Rose Shelton of Peachtree Corners; along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at Church of the Apostles, on Friday, November 21st at 10:30 o’clock. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of Pat’s favorite charities: InTouch Ministries, Leading the Way, Right from the Heart Ministries, and Turning Point.
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