of Little Rock, AR

August 19, 1931 - October 2, 2023

Patsy Ruth King Cheatham was born on August 19, 1931 to Robert and Johnnie Mae King. She went home to be with her Lord and Saviour on Monday, October 2nd, 2023. Surrounded by her family and loved ones, she passed peacefully.

She had three younger sisters who she adored, Bonnie, Mary and Vicki, and from an early age always put her family first. Pat even won a scholarship to Secretarial School, but chose not to use it, instead staying close to home to help provide for her family and be there for her sisters.

As a young girl, Pat was baptized in a lake near her home in Arkansas and from that time forward firmly believed in the power of Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She would go on to play piano at Shorewood Hills United Methodist Church in Jones Mills, Arkansas, where her family worshiped. Even after she married and moved away from Jones Mills, she continued to be a lifelong donor to her home church.

Pat married the love of her life, Brig. General Joe Cheatham on January 20, 1951. They were married 57 years and together they raised four wonderful daughters: Rebecca, Sarah, Susan and Nancy.

The quote "Behind every strong man stands an even stronger woman" tells the story of Pat and Joe's life together. Throughout Joe's tenure in the United States Army, Pat was the epitome of an "Army Wife"; supportive, strong and passionate. She earned awards for volunteer services within the United States Army Officers Wives Club, where she served as President.

Pat has always been the glue that holds the family together. This was evident as she and Joe moved their family from station to station every 2 years. When Joe left for a tour in Vietnam, Pat embraced the opportunity to take loving care of their four daughters.

Pat easily made friends everywhere she went. Everywhere. In fact, during a station in Asmara, Ethiopia she met the last Emperor of Ethiopia; Haile Selassie. Like everyone who met her, Emperor Selassie became enamored with Pat, so much so that she received many gifts from him. Her family always teased her that he must have had a crush on her.

Pat and Joe always enjoyed each other's company and loved having fun together. They bowled in a league for years and even after they stopped bowling they continued having Monday night dinners with their league mates. The two also enjoyed traveling and used time after retirement to visit several countries across Europe.

Pat was loving, caring, warm, affectionate and loyal to her daughters, her 9 grandchildren and her 8 1/2 great-grandchildren. As the matriarch of the family, she was affectionately known as "Mother".

Even with people outside her family, Pat was openhearted and loved fiercely and unconditionally. Anyone who was fortunate enough to meet her was met with a warm smile and an offer of one of her famous home cooked meals.

Pat always kept her life rich with fun and generous hobbies. She was a superb golfer. Her time on the golf course with Joe and their son-in-law, Glenn, earned her the nickname "Straight Away Pat", since she was the only one of the threesome who could hit the ball right down the center of the fairway! (Sorry, boys!)

She also enjoyed sewing and crocheting, especially when it was for others. Pat happily sewed all the clothes and nightgowns for her daughters when they were younger and knit sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets for her daughters and grandchildren. She generously gave of her time and talents to crochet 500 baby blankets for the UAMS Neonatal ICU unit, along with 500 blankets for Arkansas Children's Hospital.

In the garden, Pat could grow ANYTHING! Her daughters have always said she could stick a popsicle stick in the ground and something would grow from it. But instead of popsicle sticks, she had gorgeous flowers, trees, bushes and always had a thriving vegetable garden. It was a thrill for her to can the vegetables she was able to grow at the end of the season.

Pat also found joy in reading spy novels, historical documents and mysteries. She followed horse racing, collected bunny statues and coins, watched birds and solved crossword and jigsaw puzzles. She even served as the DJ for the Little Rock Rockettes, a group of women from 60 to 80 years of age, who performed at nursing homes across Central Arkansas.

But of all the things she loved doing, what Pat cherished most was taking care of her family. She stayed home to take care of her daughters while they grew up, diving into her love of cooking and baking to give her family three home cooked meals a day, plus dessert! Her passion for cooking lives on through her daughters, who inherited their mother's culinary skill and enthusiasm

Once the nest was empty, Pat went to work as a legal assistant for various law firms in both Houston and Little Rock.

Pat was a 14 year survivor of breast cancer, an experience that made her cherish life even more.

Pat is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joe; parents, Robert and Johnnie Mae King; sister, Bonnie Dillard; grandparents, Frank and Sophie Light; granddaughters, Stacy Robinson and Chelsea Davidson. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Rebecca Rice, Susan and Glenn Nutt, Sarah and Charles Davidson and Nancy and Buddy Green; her grandchildren, Joshua and Wendy Robinson, Christopher and Christy Robinson, Austin Boone and his fiance, Nikki, Charles and Abby Davidson, Rachel and Ryan Lutz, Phillip & LoRee Davidson, Jeni and Brennan Clement; her 8 1/2 great grandchildren, Joey, Brynn, Brooklyn, Cole, Kadance, Mason, Eliana, Jude and Baby Saylor who will arrive soon; plus countless family members and friends who she loved dearly.

She will be missed.

*The family would like to thank everyone who cared for Mother when she needed them. A special thank you to Kim Garlington for helping the family navigate through Mothers final days. To Hospice Home Health for all of their gentle kindness & support to both Mother & our family as we navigated this loss in our life.

Funeral service will be 11:00 am Friday, October 6, 2023 with a visitation at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service at Roller-Drummond Funeral Home, 10900 I-30, Little Rock, AR. Entombment will follow at Riverwood Memorial Gardens in Maumelle.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate or to Shorewood Hills United Methodist Church, 973 Remmel Dam Rd, Malvern, Arkansas 72104.

Arrangements by Roller-Chenal Funeral Home.

Sign Guestbook

9 Condolence(s)