Regis Patricia Ann was born the child of Howard Terence and Marie McKeehen Stokes on June 4th, 1934 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 87 at the time of her passing on June 15th, 2021, she is preceded in death by her father (1978) and mother (1985), all her other siblings, son Stephen Sackett, grandson Patrick Sackett, and spouses.
She is survived by her children - son Christopher Ray Sackett and wife Kay (Belton, TX), daughter Carolyn Baker Sackett Breninger (Johnstown, CO), and son Lee Elton Toney (Georgetown, TX). Her grandchildren are Stephen Sackett, Daniel Toney, and Noah Toney.
Patricia's older siblings were Lynn, and twins James and Harry. A few years later younger brother Michael came along.
Patricia liked going to school, but her favorite subjects were art and music. Her mother signed her up for piano lessons. Later, she also learned to play the organ. As an adult, she would spend many years playing music for church services. She loved singing church hymns.
When her brothers Jim and Harry were wanting to attend the 4-year University of Texas, the family made the decision to move to Austin in 1945. Patricia proceeded through the grades, then graduated from Austin High School in 1950.
She worked a summer job at the popular Barton Springs swimming pool and met Ray Palmer Sackett recently discharged from military service. They were married shortly after her graduation. They had three children, Stephen in 1951 (deceased at 9 months), Christopher in 1953, and Carolyn in 1958. They were involved in a motel venture called the Imperial 400 on Congress Ave in Austin, but it did not prove successful. In 1963 they decided to divorce.
Patricia then met James Toney. They moved to Garden Grove, California and Lee were born in 1964. After a car accident that broke her neck, spending months in the hospital, and an upper-body cast afterward, Patricia filed for a divorce in 1968 and moved back to Austin, TX.
Finding a sustainable job was not easy, and she worked various jobs and met her spouse, Richard Cockrum. They married in 1971. She was hired as a payroll accountant at utilities painting contractor Richardson Paint Company. She worked there for 15 years. She became a widow when Richard passed in 1991.
There were many facets to Patricia. She spent much time with church activities - playing piano or organ, teaching, helping church administration, and writing. She loved to read and write, especially about God and His salvation, plan, and work.
Patricia had a bout with breast cancer and after going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, was declared cancer-free after 5 years. However, the chemo treatments left a lasting neuropathy in her legs and feet that did not go away. She also endured a heart attack. And a small leak in a heart valve.
In 2018, daughter Carolyn invited mom Patricia to come live with her. Pat settled into a routine of going to church, reading, and writing - with vacation travels thrown in during 2019.
2021 brought energy fatigue and constant stomach issues. On June 10th, a catscan showed many lesions in her back and a large one in her left lung. On June 11th she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She entered hospice care and passed early the morning of June 15th.
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