Patricia Ann Howard's Obituary
Patricia “Patty” Ann Howard was born December 24, 1951 in York, Pennsylvania to John W. Laird and Phyllis Jean Miller. After a nine-year battle with cancer, she passed peacefully from this life on May 1, 2016 in Tulsa, OK surrounded by her family and was comforted by them.Patty met Bill Howard when she was 18 years old and for their first date, he took her to a drive-in movie. That’s where he first tried to kiss her, but she wouldn’t let him! Patty fell for his charms and on June 6, 1970 the couple were wed in Gardena, California. They soon welcomed their firstborn son, Billy, and together they moved to Henryetta, Oklahoma, where their second son, Steven, was born.After moving to Oklahoma, Patty decided to continue her education and enrolled in Tulsa Community College. She graduated with her Associate’s degree and was an honor student. With a compassionate heart, Patty cared for stray cats, and as a result she and Bill acquired several new furry family members over the years. They were the luckiest stray cats who ever lived! While she loved her cats, Patty’s real passion was genealogy. Her office is filled with hundreds of newspaper articles, obituaries, birth and death certificates of former generations. Her office serves as a reminder of her passion, hard-work, dedication, patience and determination. She completed as far back as she could for each of her beloved grandsons’ genealogy, as well as her own and Bill’s, which spanned back generations and generations! She traveled as far as Pennsylvania to search for headstones of her ancestors and she thoroughly enjoyed the hunt.Patty is survived by her loving husband, Bill L. Howard of Broken Arrow, OK; sons Billy R. Howard and wife Elizabeth and their sons Jacob, Trenton and Wyatt of Coweta, OK, Steven J. Howard and wife Ricki and their son Colin of Broken Arrow, OK; brothers Jay Laird of Pelzer, South Carolina, John Laird and wife Debbie of Simpsonville, South Carolina and Jan Laird and wife Jannice of Fountain Inn, South Carolina and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and her precious granddaughter Clara Gail Howard.A private family service will be held to remember and honor Patty’s life and legacy of compassion, kindness and love.
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