Nell Elizabeth Cown Pattillo passed away peacefully surrounded physically and spiritually by her loving family on Friday, April 23, 2010 in Waco. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so many. Her favorite things were her beloved family, pumpkins, geese, quilts, bluebonnets, England and Christmas.A Memorial Service will be at 3:00 pm Monday, April 26, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church of Waco. A private burial will be held preceding the service at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday, April 25 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey.
Nell was born January 6, 1922 near Stone Mountain, Dekalb County, Georgia. Her father drove a mule-driven wagon several miles to bring the doctor to their home for Nell's entry into this world. She was the elder of two daughters born to Annie Laurie Partridge Cown and George Dewey Cown. At the age of 4, she moved with her parents 6 miles up the Georgia Railroad to Clarkston, a small town 12 miles from Atlanta. She graduated from Clarkston High School as Valedictorian of her class in 1939 and from Georgia State College for Women in 1943 with a B.S. in Institutional Management and Dietetics. Four days after graduation, she was in Austin working as a dietician for the Navy program at the University of Texas In spite of her degree, she never made her sons eat healthily.
It was there at the University that she met, Pat Pattillo and on March 19, 1946, they were married at the Clarkston Georgia Methodist Church. In June of that year, Nell and Pat moved from Houston to Waco where Pat began a long association with Frank Wilcox, C.P.A., eventually retiring from the firm of Pattillo, Brown and Hill. Her children loved to hear the story of how she and dad arrived in Waco on a Greyhound bus, carrying all of their earthly possessions with them, and walking to the Raleigh Hotel at 8th and Austin Avenue to spend their first night in Waco.
Nell was active in civic affairs, serving as Chairman of the Women's Division of the United Way, President of the Women's Symphony Council, First Lady of Waco when Pat was mayor and First Lady of Texas C.P.A.'s when Pat was president of that organization. She was active in her sons' P.T.A.'s, the Current Event Club of Waco, the Waco Symphony Board of Directors and other organizations. She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Waco from 1946 until her death.
She was a neat and beautiful lady and a wonderful wife and mother. She would fight to the death for her children.
Nell was preceded in death by her parents, Laura and Dewey Cown; her sister, Virginia Lucille Cown McLeod; her brother-in-law, Charles McLeod, both of Rochester, NY; nephew, Terry Sinclair of Avon, NY and her daughter-in-law, Claudia Culver Pattillo.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Pat Pattillo; two much loved sons, Rowland Dale Pattillo III (Spike) and George Dennis Pattillo (Denny), both of Waco; her beloved daughters-in-law, Sherry Lamb Pattillo and Laura Nokes Pattillo, both of Waco; seven extraordinarily gifted grandchildren, Dr. Matthew Pattillo and wife, Laura of Dallas, Genny and husband, Russell Davis, Andy Pattillo, Jonathan Pattillo, Chelsea Pattillo, Jamie Plumhoff and wife, Susan, all of Waco, and Charles Plumhoff and wife, Corinne of Austin, all of who she was so proud and loved so very much; two beautiful and delightful great-granddaughters, Annie Elizabeth and Emma Taylor Pattillo of Dallas and one beautiful and delightful granddaughter to come, Harper Davis of Waco. Additionally, she is survived by nieces and nephews, Charlene Sinclair, Chris Sinclair and Susan McLeod, Dewey McLeod, all of New York, Elizabeth Ann McLeod and great niece, Sierra of London, England and great nephew, Chuckie Sinclair and Barbie and great great nephew Kyle Sinclair of Avon, NY.
Her love shall remain with us forever.
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