Patricia Ruth Philley Bynum

Patricia Ruth Philley Bynum, 86, of Abilene, went to be with her Lord on Friday, September 6, 2013, after a brave battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Funeral services will be at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, September 8, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, with her grandson, Patrick Lloyd officiating. The family will receive friends at a visitation on Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the funeral service. Burial will follow in Potosi Cemetery. Affectionately known to so many as ‘Nana’, she was born in Abilene on July 1, 1927, to John Patrick and Ruth Philley. She had one brother, John Patrick, Jr., and one sister, Marguerite, who, along with her parents, preceded her in death. At the age of 7, her mother suffered a stroke which caused Nana to grow up quickly and take on a caregiver role not just to her mother, but to everyone in the house. She learned quickly and it was that experience that instilled in her heart the value of service and caring for others. A devoted Abilene High Eagle, she graduated from AHS in 1945. She married A.T. ‘Babe’ Bynum on January 4, 1947 and they spent 65 years together before his passing on September 17, 2012. They began their lives together in Abilene and then moved to Clyde where they lived for 25 years before returning to the Abilene/Potosi area in 1983. She loved country-western dancing and she and Babe were frequent guests at the Grand Ole Oplin Community Center on the weekends. She worked hard not only at home but in the workforce as she was a valued employee for such places as Lone Star Gas, the County Clerk’s office in Baird, and Abilene State School before her retirement. She is survived by one daughter, Terry Lee Lloyd, of Abilene; one grandson, Patrick Bynum Lloyd and wife Robin, of Merkel; one great-grandson, Bronson Wyatt Lloyd, also of Merkel; one sister-in-law, Louise Bynum, of Abilene; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends whom she loved so dearly. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the staff at Windcrest Alzheimer’s Care Facility, Dr. James Purpura, and Alan Nichols. Donations can be made to the Potosi Cemetery Fund, 109 Bynum Lane, Abilene, TX 79602.