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Pat Carlson of Springfield, Missouri born September 26, 1947

Pat Carlson – to paraphrase Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers — never met a person she didn’t like. Pat died on Thursday September 27, 2018 at her home in Springfield, Missouri. She was 71.

Pat leaves behind husband Al, to whom she was married 45 years; sons John and wife Kara Farren, and James and wife Erin Spradlin; sisters Anne Mitchell, Mary Shaw and husband Michael Mahar, Barb Shaw, and Hodgie Bricke and husband Jack; and brothers Pete Perrault, and Pat Shaw and wife Georgia; and granddaughter Riley Carlson and grandson Atticus Carlson, children of John and Kara.

There will be a funeral mass at 10 a.m. Wednesday October 10, 2018 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Springfield. A private burial service will be later.

Pat’s humor, kindness, and intelligence, along with all kinds of memories of her, will be celebrated at a lively wake from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday October 9, 2018 at Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home in Springfield.

Pat was commissioned in the Army while a nursing student in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduation, she had her choice of serving in Hawaii or in Vietnam. Pat chose Vietnam because she knew she was needed more in a war zone.

Pat served one year in Vietnam and one year stateside. After leaving the Army in 1971, Pat worked for the Indian Health Service in Zuni, New Mexico.

Pat and Al were married on December 29, 1972 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Pat devoted her life to a unique kindness, a priceless treasure bestowed on everyone she ever met, knew, or heard of. Pat was kind to those who did not like her, and those she did not like. Pat was kind to her enemies.

Pat had more friends than could be counted, most notably Linda Braun.

Pat’s death leaves us with memories of a kindness that can’t be equaled, and a good life never to be duplicated.