Patsy Goodwin

Patsy Laverne (Knight) Goodwin, born the second of five siblings to Moultry & Alma Ruth (Brannon) Knight on November 19, 1942. Growing up in the Spade Mt. Community where she was born, Patsy attended grade school at Rabbit trap. After graduating from Stilwell High School in 1960, she attended summer school at Northeastern State College, now University.

Patsy married Leon Goodwin September 8, 1960 and the two were married just 23 days shy of 60 years! They had one son, Michael Leon Goodwin and lived in Tulsa, OK. In the fall of 1963 they moved back to Stilwell & Patsy returned to college at NSU graduating with a B.S. degree in Education with majors in Home Economics & Elementary Education, also a minor in English.

Patsy worked at Greasy elementary for five and a half years. She taught Jr.

High Home Economics and Remedial Reading. Her first year there, ten of her girls received blue ribbons on their dresses at the Adair county 4-H Dress Review.

Continuing her education, attending classes during summer and Monday nights, Patsy received her Master’s degree as a Reading Specialist. Spending the last twenty- four years of her career at Stilwell Middle School, she taught English, which was her favorite. She really liked teaching English. Not many students liked English as their favorite subject, neither did Leon, Michael, nor Gator for correcting them.

Patsy was an accomplished seamstress sewing most of her own designer clothes for many years. She enjoyed teaching her granddaughters, Tawnie and Macy how to sew and helping them with their 4-H projects. Patsy also enjoyed sewing special dresses for her granddaughters during their growing up years. After she retired in 1996, she enjoyed sewing special quilt tops and crocheting with her mother all the while babysitting her grandson, Gator.

Some of the things she liked to do were ride the motorcycle or in the convertible with Leon, read, sew, crochet, attend Tawnie’s beauty pageants, eat Macy’s salsa and delicious cheese-balls, attend rodeos to watch them barrel race and attend Gator’s archery contests.

Patsy was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, a women’s teachers organization for over forty years. She was also a member of Stilwell Pentecostal Holiness Church for over 40 years, serving as Jr. High Sunday School Teacher, Women’s Ministries Secretary, Treasurer for many years and church pianist for a couple of years. She was saved as a young woman and she, Michael and Leon were all baptized together and were the first to be baptized in the new sanctuary. More recent, she & Leon became members of the First Christian Church and are blessed to be part of their family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Moultry and Alma Knight.

Patsy departed this life on Saturday, August 15, 2020 at home surrounded by a loving and devoted family.

She is survived by her husband, Leon Goodwin, of the home, son: Michael Goodwin and wife Lela of Stilwell, OK, siblings: Harold Knight and wife Lillian of Bunch, OK, Barbara Silver and husband Dainus of Canton, GA, Jerry Joe Knight and wife Debbie of Stilwell, Gary Knight and wife LaDonna of Harrah, OK, grandchildren: Tawnie Goodwin and fiance’ Garret Colwell of Wagoner, OK, Macy Goodwin and Gator Goodwin of Stilwell and great grandson: Jimmy Colson Goodwin.

Patsy was loved by all who were blessed to have her in their life.