Patricia Kaye Fletcher

Patricia “Pat” (Maholland) Fletcher

Marion, Kentucky- Patricia “Pat” (Maholland) Fletcher, age seventy-one (71), passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018, at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, following a brief illness. Pat resided in Marion, Kentucky, with her husband Ronald “Ron” Fletcher, and their beloved Yorkie named Marley.

Pat was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, on October 22, 1947, to her parents Homer Maholland, Jr., and Dorothy “Maxine” (Scott) Maholland. Pat was a 1965 graduate of Clarksville High School.

Pat had a love of travel that took her westward in her younger years where she developed a life-long affinity with the American South West, Native American tribes, and their reservation communities. As a young adult, with her soft-spoken manner, combined with a fierce intellect and loving heart, Pat counted as friends a former Texas Governor and First Lady who hosted her frequently in the Governor’s Mansion as well as the leading entertainers of the time.

When Pat decided to settle down and raise a family, she craved the quiet country life that provided her with immense peace, solace, and contentment throughout the remainder of her years. Pat desired to raise a child of the “wild,” and she accomplished that task to the great benefit of her only child, Shannon (Devine) Tomlinson, who grew up with free reign over the hundreds of acres that became her personal playground. Later in life, Pat counted the leader of a local biker gang among the horde of her staunch supporters and friends after he shockingly swore allegiance to her at Livingston County Hospital with the solemn vow that from that day forward, “We are blood.” His devotion was inspired by Pat assisting with a family crisis that had little to do with her job description much less healthcare in general.

Pat delighted in being an “angel unaware” by fulfilling the needs of others that she simply stumbled upon during her day to day life. She felt that the Holy Spirit provided insight, it was her duty to heed the call, and she deftly worked behind the scenes to help the person in need without them ever having any knowledge of her assistance.

Pat’s passion for service led to the pursuance of a career in healthcare. She obtained the prestigious Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) credential, which is regarded as the international gold standard for the healthcare quality profession. She served as Quality Director/Risk Manager at Livingston County Hospital and Healthcare Systems in Salem, Kentucky. During her tenure, Pat spearheaded committees that saw the Hospital evolve to a top-rated Critical Access Hospital and Level 4 Trauma Center as well as receive the distinction of being one of the first hospitals in the nation to become ISO 9001 certified.

Throughout her career and post-retirement, Pat remained involved in local charitable initiatives that ran the gamut from providing holiday meals to the poor; working with her grandchildren, William and Alexandra Tomlinson, to organize a drive to collect fans for the needy during summer heatwaves; knitting sweaters for homeless dogs, and supporting animal welfare organizations in general. There was no denying Pat’s natural comradery with the animal world. When a baby squirrel fell at her feet from the top of her backyard shade tree, it was immediately apparent that the squirrel’s back legs and tail became paralyzed from the fall. Like everyone and everything else that received the boundless grace of Pat’s love, Peanut the Squirrel not only survived, by thrived, for seven years. The length of Peanut’s years as a paralyzed indoor squirrel greatly exceeded the life expectancy of a healthy squirrel in its normal habitat. Such was the sheer power of Pat’s love when she deemed to take anything, human or animal, beneath her wing.

Pat was a long-standing member of Marion Baptist Church in Marion, Kentucky.

Pat was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Homer Maholland Sr., and Cassie (Miller) Maholland; her maternal grandparents, Sadie (Allen) Scott Harrell and Bernice Scott; and her parents, Homer Maholland Jr., and Dorothy “Maxine” (Scott) Maholland, all of Clarksville, Tennessee. Pat is survived by her husband, Ronald “Ron” Fletcher, of Marion, Kentucky; her daughter Shannon (Devine) Tomlinson, son-in-law Robert Tomlinson, Jr., and grandchildren, William Tandy Tomlinson and Alexandra Scott Tomlinson, all of Independence, Kentucky; her step-sons Chris Fletcher of Murray, Kentucky, and Jeff Fletcher of Marion, Kentucky; and step-grandson Jackie Fletcher, his wife Paige Fletcher, and children Madelyn and Joseph Fletcher, of Ft. Hood, Texas and Jersey Rushing of Providence, KY.

All services will be conducted by Gilbert Funeral Home located at117 West Bellville Street, Marion, Kentucky. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Funeral services will held at Gilbert Funeral Home at 11:00 AM on Thursday, November 8, 2018, with burial, and a brief graveside service, to be performed at Hurricane Church Cemetery in Tolu, Kentucky. A reception will be held immediately following the burial at Marion Baptist Church in Marion, Kentucky.