Patricia Ann Daugherty Tatum, beloved wife, mother, &aunt to several nieces and nephews, was born July 24, 1937 in Hutchinson, Kansas, and passed from this life on Saturday, July 23, 2022, one day before her 85th birthday. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 30, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Jasper with interment to follow at Newton City Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. in the Frank Ealand Hall at First United Methodist Church.
Mrs. Tatum was preceded in death by an only sister, Mary Francis Daugherty, and is survived by Dr. Gary E. Tatum, O.D. and daughter Andrea Tatum, both of Jasper.
Pat, as she was known to her friends and family, graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in Art. She worked in Midland, Texas as an illustrator for Hallmark, where she met and married Gary Tatum, an engineer at the time, in 1961. Mr. &Mrs. Tatum moved to Houston, where Pat worked for the Houston Chronicle in the art department while her husband attended the University of Houston School of Optometry. In 1966 they moved to Jasper, where Dr. Tatum opened the first optometry practice in the area. Pat worked in her husband’s office for many years, generously and capably helping in various positions, before retiring to pursue her love of art full time.
Pat was an artist of exceptional talent. She was awarded 1st place by the Guggenheim Museum of New York City for her painting, "Orange Embracing Blue” at the Rauschenberg Tribute Exhibition in Port Arthur in 2009. She also received 1st place in the Houston Exhibit of the Watercolor Art Society for her "Supernova”, a watercolor depicting sunflowers. She studied art in Paris for several summers and, together with the friends who accompanied her, wrote &published a book about their experiences. Pat, along with other talented artists in the Jasper area, founded the East Texas Regional Art Center, locally known as the Jasper Art Center. She was a long-time board member, responsible for bringing in and showcasing the work of area artists. Her family and friends have appreciated and enjoyed her paintings over the years and will now consider preserving as a memorial some of her works at the Art Center she helped to establish. With the artist's eye for beauty, Pat loved all of God's nature, but flowers were her favorite. She carefully cultivated her own flower garden and delighted in making gorgeous arrangements for each exhibit at the Art Center as well as for family events and holidays.
She was also a talented photographer, documenting holidays and events with artistically framed shots, followed by the well-known photo albums she lovingly compiled and generously gave as gifts to friends and family.
Pat was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Jasper, where she taught Sunday School for many years and where she will be deeply missed. Known for her tasteful and elegant manner of dressing, Patricia Tatum elevated every gathering she attended. For almost six decades, she was a kind, sweet and generously contributing influence in this small East Texas town of Jasper. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends in Jasper and elsewhere. Reminiscing with a relative, Dr. Tatum said, "We had a wonderful life together." We ask that you remember in your kindness Mrs. Tatum's husband and daughter as they transition into a new stage of life without their dear wife and mother. Condolences can be posted at www.shultzfuneralhomeofjasper.com or on Facebook at Shultz Funeral Home &Crematory.
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