Patricia S. Whisenhunt

Patricia S. Whisenhunt (nee Mary Patricia Sauter) died on October 28 at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 86 from complications of old age. Patricia was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where she graduated from Pine Bluff High School and then attended the University of Missouri for one year, studying to become a journalist. Marriage and children overtook her journalism plans. After a divorce, she went to work in Pine Bluff for the Social Security Administration as a receptionist. She advanced through the ranks and, in mid-life, transferred to Social Security offices in Opelousas, Morgan City and Houma, Louisiana, ending her career as a regional manager. In her work with Social Security, she loved meeting and helping older and disabled people from all walks of life and in many settings, ranging from mid-size towns to rural backwaters. Shortly after retirement, Patricia married Raymond E. Whisenhunt, and the two of them lived together in a house that they built in Prairieville, Louisiana. After Raymond died in 2006, Patricia moved into St. James Place, a continuing care community in Baton Rouge. She loved the place and remained there until her death – reminded of her religion and her politics by photographs of St. Thérèse and Franklin D. Roosevelt that she kept prominently in view. Patricia was predeceased by her youngest son, Richard Alan Smith, who died on October 21, 2014. She is survived by Alan's wife Donna Thibodeaux Smith, by her sons Patrick J. Smith and Michael R. Smith and their wives Rebecca Smith and Holly Larisch, by three grandchildren and a great grandson as well as by her stepchildren Johnnie Taylor, Amanda Lanclos, Jackie Whisenhunt, their spouses, children, and grandchildren. A funeral mass will be held at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Baton Rouge at 11 AM on Monday, November 3, with an hour of visitation preceding the mass. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Baton Rouge, which helps the needy and suffering in the Baton Rouge area.

Published in TheAdvocate.com from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, 2014.