Lewisburg-On Monday, July 12, 2021, Patsy Ann Wingo (née Christian) died at the age of 85 in her West Virginia home in Lewisburg. She was a confirmed snowbird for over 30 years and also maintained a home on Siesta Key off of Sarasota, FL, throughout the winter season with her husband, Walter, until his death in 2011. She is survived by her four sisters, Juanita, Virginia, Betty, and Charlotte, and her brother, Darius.
Patsy was born at home on the Christian family farm in Keister by the Greenbrier River in West Virginia and attended a one-room schoolhouse until she moved to “the city” to attend her alma mater, Lewisburg High School. Lewisburg would remain her home and community for the most of her life until retiring to Florida. Patsy remained active in both the Lewisburg House & Garden Club and Sarasota Garden Club and served as a nationally accredited Flower Show Master Judge Emeritus, a member of the Old Stone Presbyterian Church’s Women’s Circle, and an avid golfer with a Hole-in-One to her credit.
She began her professional career at The Greenbrier and worked primarily in the Publicity Department in the MadMen Era of business. She had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing many famous individuals in that role but her fondest one was with Pearl S. Buck, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author. But most importantly, she made lifetime friends and met her future husband at the resort. Together she and Walter mortgaged their home to the SBA and sold her U.S. savings bonds to create Walter H. Wingo – Fine Jewelry which serviced the needs of hotel guests through the late 20th century.
The Wingos spent many years visiting Walter’s children across the world including Hawaii and Germany. When their only child together, Gregory A. Wingo, left for various schools they visited him in Blacksburg, Los Angeles, Italy, and Clemson, and later throughout Europe. For her 80th birthday, Patsy chose to cruise Greece, the Dalmatian coast, and Italy with her son, his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Kearney, as her last great traveling adventure.
While only having one child with Walter, Patsy was also a mother figure for her stepson, Walter H. Wingo, Jr. (Butch), and a grandmother to Gregg’s four children, Helvetia, Adele, and Celeste of Switzerland, Kearney and his stepson, Korey, both of Lewisburg. She was also a great-grandmother of Floyde and Livio of Switzerland; however, long before that she was Grand Patsy to Walter’s grandchildren, Chuck, Scott, Andy, Jennifer, Chris, David, Justin, Dylan, Ransom, and Sarah. She was, of course, also Great Grand Patsy to their 14 sons and daughters. Her home was often filled with the laughter and playfulness of children of all ages.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, at noon at the Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg, with a reception following immediately afterwards. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Lewisburg Foundation’s Flowers Forever fund in Patsy’s name. Donations should be sent to the Lewisburg Foundation, 674 Church Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901. The foundation can be contacted at 304-647-3520 to answer questions concerning their community beautification mission.
Patsy will be interred with her husband and eternal dance partner, Walter, in the Sarasota National Cemetery this fall on a date to be determined.
Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in Lewisburg is in charge of arrangements. Please send online condolences by visiting www.WallaceandWallaceFH.com.
