Patricia Johnson Longacre

Patricia Tomlinson Johnson Longacre, 81, died Friday, April 17, 2015 in Abilene, Texas. Patricia Tomlinson was born on October 9, 1933 in Huntington, West Virginia to Jesse Roland Tomlinson and Evelyn Lett Tomlinson. She was a graduate of Barboursville High School in West Virginia. Following high school, Pat attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV, until her marriage to Winson Ray Johnson on June 5, 1953 in Huntington, West Virginia. Ray and Pat lived in Fort Worth, Texas when they first married, while both she and Ray attended Southwestern Seminary. They then moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma where Pat attended Oklahoma Baptist University and then to Norman, OK, where she graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1965. She taught school for one year in Norman. The Johnsons then moved to Grand Prairie, Texas, where Pat taught for one year. She then taught school for three years in New Orleans. In 1970, Ray and Pat and their girls moved to Abilene, where she lived for the rest of her life. Pat earned her Master of Education in Guidance Counseling from Hardin-Simmons University in 1980. She worked for Abilene ISD for 22 years, 9 years as a teacher and 13 years as a counselor. She touched many young lives during her 27 years in public education, retiring in 1993. While a counselor in Abilene, Pat served as president of the Big Country Counselors Association and was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Since 1970, Pat had been a member of First Baptist Church, Abilene, where she served as a director in the third and fifth grade Sunday School departments for several years. Pat was on the Ministry of Counseling Board for ten years. More recently she was involved with the prayer works ministry, as well as serving as a greeter on Sunday mornings. In 1998, Pat married Dudley Longacre in Abilene, Texas. During retirement, Pat enjoyed travelling, reading, and spending time at the lake with Dudley and their extended families. Much of her free time involved making quilts for each of their grandchildren for their wedding gifts. Pat was married to W. Ray Johnson until his death in 1996. Their children are Pamela (David) Coons of Lubbock, Cheryl Waters of Austin, and Cynthia (Leo) Brown of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She had five grandchildren: April (Robert) Lewis, Stephen (Chelsea) Brown, Rachel (Andrew) Wideman, Krista Waters, and Becca (Ben) Ellery. She also had 10 great-grandchildren. Pat is also survived by her sister, Edith (Dick) Keoleian of Coronado, California. Dudley’s children are Lindy (Rodney) Kidd of Mannheim, Germany, and Roy (Sandy) Longacre of Abilene. He has eight grandchildren: Robert (Lysann) Kidd, Laura (Andrew) Shanks, Leanna (Nathan) Shepherd, Leslie (Felix) Ring, Randy Kidd, Luke (Lindsay) Longacre, Wesley Longacre, and Chad (Holly) Longacre. Dudley has 13 great-grandchildren. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Ray and Pat Johnson Psychology Scholarship Memorial Fund, Hardin-Simmons University, HSU Station, Box 16100, Abilene, TX 79698; or to the Ministry of Counseling at First Baptist Church, Abilene, P O Box 85, Abilene, TX 79604, or to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, TX 79605. Visitation will be Friday, April 24, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at First Baptist Church in Abilene with Rev. Palmer McCown and Dr. Mike Stedham officiating.