Patsy Frizzell

Patsy Ann (Patricia) Frizzell, 89, passed away peacefully at home on October 31, 2017 in Abilene, Texas.

The family will gather for private graveside services officiated by Dr. Phil Christopher of First Baptist Church of Abilene. A Celebration of Life and catered luncheon will be held at approximately 1:00 pm Saturday, November 4th at the home of Jack and Pat Frizzell, located at 2909 Woodlake Dr. in Abilene. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.

Patricia is well known for her sparkling personality and zest for life. Generations of Abilenians appreciate her grand sense of humor and endless supply of funny jokes. People often came to her office just to experience Pat’s humor. She loved deeply and was cherished by everyone fortunate enough to meet her. Her legacy of kindness lives on in her children and grandchildren, and her legacy of love lives on with Jack, her beloved husband of 70 years. No matter how much she struggled with her declining health in her final days, she always had a kind word and a tender expression of gratitude for everyone who came into her presence. As a footnote, she was extremely lucky and never met a slot machine she didn’t like.

Pat was born in Minden, Louisiana to Samuel T. and Mary Helen (Maxey) Day on March 29, 1928. Her father worked as a construction engineer, and they moved around the country as he took major construction jobs which lasted years at a time. Pat lived with her parents in a tent village near Boulder City, Nevada while her father operated a dragline in the construction of the Boulder (now Hoover) Dam. She lived with her parents on Catalina Island (California) for seven years while her father constructed the breakwater for the Catalina Island Harbor. They then moved back to the mainland and into a home her father built in Lometa, California. She attended Narbonne High School until mid-way through her senior when they moved to McAllen, Texas where her father supervised construction on a major irrigation project for the Mexican government. Pat graduated from McAllen High School in 1945 and entered Edinburg Junior College. The beautiful young Pat caught the eye of her future husband Jack Frizzell at this time, after he had returned from his WWII service in the US Navy and enrolled at Edinburg, where they both graduated from junior college and were married on June 21, 1947 in McAllen, TX. The newly-married couple then moved to Austin and enrolled in the University of Texas in September 1947, graduating in 1950. During their time in Austin Pat worked as secretary to Governor Buford H. Jester until his death in office in 1949. Their first son, Allan D. Frizzell of Abilene was born in September 1949 while the couple was living in Austin. They then moved to San Angelo where Jack took his first job as a geologist with a drilling company owned by Richard King Jr., a King Ranch heir. While living in San Angelo they were blessed with two more children, a son Lane Patrick, born on September 5th, 1951, and a daughter Joni Ann, born February 11th, 1954. After the drilling company was sold, Jack and Pat moved first to Albuquerque, then to Abilene, and then to Denver, following Jack’s work as a petroleum geologist. They returned to Abilene in 1972 and founded Frizzell Exploration with Allan and later Lane upon their graduation from Texas Tech University. Joni returned to Abilene after graduating from Texas Tech in 1975. Over the course of 40 years Pat worked as business manager for Frizzell Exploration and Enrich Oil Corporation. She retired at the age of 85 after becoming a legendary figure in downtown Abilene business life.

Pat was preceded in death by her father Samuel Thomas Day, her mother Mary Helen Maxey Day, her brother Samuel P. Day, and her son Lane Patrick Frizzell.

She is survived by her husband, Jack Q. Frizzell of Abilene, her son Allan Douglas and his wife Linda Ruth (Long) Frizzell of Abilene, her daughter-in-law Miriam Holly (Lutz) Frizzell of Abilene, her daughter Joni Ann and son-in-law Bill O. Wood of Abilene, and seven grandchildren: Tad Frizzell, Jill Frizzell Flores, Matthew Frizzell, Nicholas Wood, Britni Wood, Kelsey Wood Sheets and Jenny Frizzell Garcia. She is also survived by great-grandchildren Jack Allan Flores, Caroline Flores, Tad Flores, Quentin Garcia, Eloise Frizzell, Charlotte Wood, and Penelope Garcia, along with her brother Sam’s children, nephew Colin Day and nieces Stephanie Day and Shannon Day.

Memorials may be given to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center.

The family would especially like to thank Pat’s dedicated caregivers David and Susan Spicer, Donna Victorino, and Janice Tittle for their love and devotion to Pat in the last months of her life. They are also deeply grateful to the caring people of Hendrick Hospice of Abilene.