Patrice Williams

Patrice Van Liew Williams of Overland Park, Kansas and Independence, Missouri, passed away Jan. 27, 2013. A visitation will be held at Carson- Speaks Funeral Home at 1501 W. Lexington Ave, Independence, Missouri from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, at The Groves in Independence.
Patrice was born on May 22, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Patrice was salutatorian in high school and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Finance from the University of Iowa, where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Patrice’s first job out of college was secretary to the president of Drake University in Des Moines. When the former dean of women came back from a year’s tour as a recreational director for the troops in Germany, Patrice applied for the same job and spent two years in search of adventure. In Germany she met her future husband, Edwin S. Williams (Lt. Col., USA, retired), who preceded her in death in 2007. She returned to Des Moines, where she worked at Better Homes and Gardens as secretary to the book editor and was later secretary to Tom Barber of American Airlines. When Ed’s tour of duty ended in Germany, he followed her to Des Moines and always claimed his red convertible with white leather interior finally convinced her to marry him.
After her marriage in June 1954, Patrice and Edwin lived in several duty stations, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Ft. Bliss, Texas, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Springfield, Virginia. Patrice was the ultimate officer’s wife, hosting occasions that helped further Ed’s career. She was an active volunteer as a hospital “Grey Lady,” as well as many other volunteer activities through the years. She became involved in each community she joined, acting in plays, modeling and participating in the officers’ wives clubs at each post. During these years she, as she often repeated, “had four children in four years, one month, two weeks and 10 days.” Patrice was active and enjoyed playing golf and tennis, swimming and snow and water skiing.
She involved her whole family, including husband Ed and all four children, in a production of “The King and I” while in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. She and her family finally settled in Overland Park, Kansas when Ed retired from the Army in 1972, where she again joined a community theatre group, performing the lead in many plays for the Barn Players at Johnson County Community College. She earned her real estate license in 1970 and after years in the million dollar sales clubs at Hardin Stockton, finally retired in 1997 from J.C. Nichols in Overland Park. She moved to Independence in 2007 where she resided at the Groves Retirement Community.
She is survived by four children: Kevin S. Williams and wife Ginny of Independence; Eileen P. Abaian and husband Jack of Los Angeles; Deidre M. Brown, of Charleston, SC and Shayla J. Ashmore, of Susanville, CA; fourteen grandchildren and five great- grandchildren.