Patricia Ann Stephens Spangler

Patricia Ann Stephens Meisel Spangler is swinging from a rainbow somewhere, but it surely isn't here. She did many things, but we need to remember that what she did was different from what she was.

In grade school she had a paper route--True Grit--for which she was never paid as a result of unethical management. She sold greeting cards to her neighbors and ordered a tea cup monkey which never arrived. Her dad called her "Sarah" after Sarah Bernhardt because to some, she seemed overly dramatic. Her most memorable Christmas was the year all she wanted was a goldfish. Unfortunately her father left the fish out in the car, and being winter, the fish froze. She played basketball, could punt the dickens out of a football and fancied herself a long distance hitter--in both softball and golf. At a very early age, she worried about the world her grandchildren would inherit. She loved tadpoles, mountain red bud and dogwood in the spring. Creeks, caves and crayfish. And rocks. She loved rocks. She frequently filled balloons with helium, inserted notes into them, and launched the balloons heavenward--messages to god in case prayer didn’t work.

As a young mother of two, Patricia, along with her children, lived in a Buddhist Ashram for 5 years and only returned to academia after realizing an English undergraduate degree was good for many things but good for nothing that paid a living wage. To wit: her 2005 accounting of the Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster—a self-published book that possibly sold 500 copies, hardly set sales records.

Written by her children:

Following our stint at the ashram, we made Bloomington, IN home while mom finished her Masters in Education. Statesboro, GA was the next layover in her journey, teaching photography, graphic arts and media production at Georgia Southern University. All the while raising two children through high school and beyond. Patricia’s entrepreneurial spirit came back to the surface during this time with the creation of Meisel Graphics screen printing. First in the family garage and growing from there. Patricia’s interests led her to a decade plus of helping and healing through massage therapy. Her love for nurturing and gardening was always present, and grew to new heights on the farm in Crow Hollow. Llamas, chickens, horses, milk goats, dogs/cats and “Maggie” the mule were all part of the menagerie. In 2011 life’s journey led to western North Carolina to be closer to her young grandson Logan and the vibrant art culture present in the area. Patricia’s artistic nature continued to evolve through the use of fabrics, nature's bounty of leaves “eco printing” and clay. Along the way, she developed a love for Pickleball, often on the court several times a week. In between playing cards with friends, water colors, pickle ball and pottery, Patricia loved to read, garden and spend time with her loyal dog Hope.

Anders-Rice Funeral Home and Cremation Center is honored to serve Patricia’s family.