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Patricia Ann “Trisha” Howard
Patricia Ann “Trisha” Howard, age 67, a resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, May 23, 2022, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. She was born May 30, 1954, in Fort Scott, the daughter of O.E. “Dan” Pence and Mary Share Pence. Patricia graduated from the Fort Scott High School with the Class of 1972. She went on to graduate from Fort Scott Community College School of Nursing in 1975. She married Kenneth C. Howard on Nov. 22, 1975, in Fort Scott. Trisha obtained her initial nursing license in November of 1975 and has continued to maintain her license ever since. After finishing nursing school, Patricia worked for a brief period at Arkhaven Nursing Home before Dr. James Basham asked her to cover maternity leave for his nurse at his family practice. Trisha fell in love with her patients at the practice and what began as covering maternity leave turned into a career that spanned over four decades. When Dr. Basham retired she began working for Dr. Randy Nichols and spent 36 years taking care of patients in his office. Not only did Trisha love her patients she loved her coworkers, many of them becoming lifelong friends.
She was a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother. She was extremely proud of her family and loved sharing stories and pictures of her grandchildren with anyone she met. She and Kenny seldom missed attending their grandchildren’s many activities, often times traveling from one event to the next. Trisha’s heart of compassion also spilled over into the animal kingdom. She frequently tended a stray cat or dog and would spend hours searching for someone’s lost pet. Many cats, and dogs enjoyed long comfortable lives because of Patricia’s love. Serving others and serving God were just two of her many loves in life. She was a life-long member of the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church and was currently serving as treasurer of the St. Anne’s Altar Society. She was also a former member of the PEO.
Survivors include her husband, Kenny, of the home; two sons, Matt Howard (Deidra) of Olathe, Kan., and Chris Howard (Nicole) of Bonner Springs, Kan., and four grandchildren, Benjamin, Michael, Christian and Kate. Also surviving is her twin brother, Patrick Pence (Terri) and a sister, Carolyn Perry (Bill) all of Pittsburg, Kan., and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Mary Pence and her in-laws, Robert and Doris Howard.
Following cremation, Father Yancey Burgess will conduct Mass of Christian at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 27 at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church where the Rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Memorials are suggested to Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.