Patricia Sloan

Patricia Smith Sloan, aged 100 years, one month, and 28 days, died in Norman, Oklahoma on February 14, 2019. She was born December 17, 1918 in Humansville, Missouri, but grew up in Emporia, Kansas, where she attended the Lab School at Emporia State Teacher’s College. The youngest of seven, with six sisters and one brother, she delighted all with her arrival 20 years after the firstborn. She attended both Emporia High School and Red Wing High School in Minnesota where she graduated. Pat continued her education at Bartlesville Business College in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and went to work for I.T.I.O (Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Company), a precursor to Cities Service and then later, Citgo.

There Pat met Bill Sloan, a young engineer from Texas A&M, and they were married August 7, 1941 in New York City. She then joined him in Washington, D.C. to work as a secretary to Congressman August Andresen of Minnesota. Bill had been called to Army service in 1937 and was a Major in Ordnance at the Pentagon working on the Lend-Lease program when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He remained there for the duration of the war and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He returned to civilian life for a few years but was called back to serve in the Korean War.

Post-war years brought them back to Bartlesville where Mr. Sloan resumed a career at Cities Service. Pat raised their three children before beginning a 20-year career at Phillips Petroleum Company in the International Department, where she was involved in obtaining international documents for employees from all over the world. She often traveled to New York and Washington with this position.

Pat was a lifelong athlete, riding horses when she was young, later playing tennis, and golf, and then in her 50s taking up running. One year, at the Bonne Bell Women’s race in Boston, she came in second for the 60 and over runners. In Bartlesville races, she was often on the winner’s podium.

Pat was a beauty. She modeled in ads for local Bartlesville businesses in her youth, and for Rivermont Independent Living posters in her elder years. In 1940 she became Miss Bartlesville, entitling her to compete in Kansas City at the American Royal Horse Show Beauty Pageant.

Pat loved to hike, and with her daughters and two granddaughters she went to Switzerland, Germany, and even Singapore to hike and run. Her granddaughter Katherine dubbed her an elder Forrest Gump as she always seemed a frontrunner in whatever she chose or happened to do. While working, she was one of the first women to wear sneakers to work and change footwear at the door, because she either walked or rode her bike to get there. When she went to England for the first time, the Queen chose to take a carriage ride right by where Pat was walking, giving her the royal wave as she passed. Pat was used to royalty. The former King of England, Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson, often visited at the apartment building in Washington where Pat and Bill lived because the aunt of the former king’s wife lived in the same building! Pat always found interesting things happened to her – or perhaps she made them interesting.

Music was always important to Pat. She played piano and the ukulele, and loved any musical performance, including opera which Charles taught her to appreciate. When she was young, she was lead singer for her brother’s band until they hit the road and her mother forbade her travel with them. In her most elder years, she told a younger friend she’d like to be a piano-bar singer in Heaven with her brother on the trumpet.

Pat was a committed member of several organizations: Desk and Derrick at Phillips, P.E.O. where she was a member for over 60 years and served as President twice; First Presbyterian Church of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and First Christian Church of Norman, Oklahoma. Over the years she volunteered for many organizations, including driving for the elderly when she was in her late 80’s!

Pat’s husband Bill predeceased her in 2002. Four years later she moved to Norman to be near family, taking residence at Rivermont. There, at age 89, she met Charles Peters, a wonderful man from New Hampshire who had made a similar move to be near his daughter. Pat and Charles became special friends until his death at age 96. Then, only a year later, she lost her 17-year-old shih-tzu companion, Daisy. These were difficult losses, but she remained active until the last six months of her life when health problems mounted. Despite that, she enjoyed her family, music, and CNN news, to which she was addicted daily.

Pat is survived by her oldest daughter, Patty Mac and Mike Hewitt of New Hampshire, her daughter Pam and husband Gary Clinton of Norman, and her son Chip (William) Sloan and his wife Susan of Melrose, Massachusetts. Grandchildren include: Chris and Tom Whitford of New York City and their children, Zachary, Toby, and Zoe; Katherine and Sebastian Cherian of Minneapolis with children Sophia, Eloise, and Sebastian; and Michael Hewitt and wife Karen Sample of Amsterdam and their two boys, Ellis and Willem. Grandson Adam and his wife Stephanie Clinton and boys Addison and Harry, and Emily Clinton Claude and husband Marc and their daughter Ada all live in Norman, Oklahoma. Chip and Susan’s son Alex and his wife Caitlin Peale Sloan and their son Henry live in Malden, Massachusetts, and their daughter Charlotte and husband Ryan Olsen and son William Arthur live in Chicago.

In addition Pat leaves behind a third “daughter” in Norman, Charles Peters’ daughter Michaele Benn, who became family when Pat and Charles met.

Pat also leaves behind many caregivers who came into her life at the last, but who contributed much love and affection. There can never be enough of that. Especially at the end.

A celebration of her life will be held at First Christian Church, 220 South Webster, Norman, Oklahoma at 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2019.

A memorial has been established in support of Cottey College, Nevada Missouri, a P.E.O. supported educational project. Donations in Pat’s memory may be sent to Cottey College, P.E.O. International Headquarters, 3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312-2806.