of Little Rock, AR
August 15, 1930 - October 4, 2024
Mary Pat Wood House, 94, of Little Rock passed away October 4, 2024. Pat was born August 15, 1930 in Pangburn, Arkansas to Icy Mae Wood and Prince Columbus Wood, Sr.
While attending Hendrix College in 1950, Pat was crowned as Campus Homecoming Queen and was voted most beautiful, most brilliant and most athletic.
Pat helped organize the Women's Emergency Committee and was the chairperson of publicity for the W.E.C. during the Little Rock school desegregation crisis.
Pat was included as one of the ''Red-Hot Hundred'' in the September 14, 1962 edition of Life Magazine with a full-page photo and article.
She played an important role in the League of Women's Voters to advocate abolishing poll taxes.
From 1967-1971, Pat was a member of Winthrop Rockefeller's campaign for Governor.
In 1970 she was a member of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and played a role in helping to establish the first halfway house in Little Rock with Rev. Efirt.
In 1984 she was president of KABF 88.3 radio station and was a member of the Pulaski County Election Commission.
Pat worked with Worldwide Travel Agency, helping fund President Bill Clinton's presidential campaign.
Pat was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Billie Wood Butler and Sunny Wood Hicks; brothers, Prince C. Wood, Jr. and Joe Wood; sons, Marcus House and Scott House; daughter, Sarah Leah House Carpenter; by the father of her children, Byron Wesley House, Jr. and by her companion for many years and Pangburn classmate, Kyle Marsh.
She is survived by son, Byron Wesley House III (Shae); daughter, Missy Thornton (Charlie); son, John House, Sr. (Lisa); ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, October 16th at 12:00 p.m. at Roller-Owens Funeral Home in North Little Rock. Interment will be at Henderson Cemetery in Pangburn at 2:30 p.m.
Pallbearers are Byron House IV, Shye Carpenter, Chase Thornton, Clint Thornton, Clark Thornton and John House, Jr.
Missy , so very sorry for your loss
I know how much your mother meant to you! Praying for you and your family.
May the Lord bless you and be with each one of you.
Missy just wanted you to know how lucky your mom was to have you. You took such great care for her. Visiting her every week and taking her for car rides and out to eat. Always making sure she had everything she needed. All her birthdays and holidays you made special for her. You have been there for her during her times of need and care. She is seeing you and knowing how much you loved her. Love you my dear friend.
So sorry to hear about your loss. I worked for ACORN and met Pat at the ACORN office when I first started working there in the 1980s. I really liked the conversations we had and learned a lot from her over the years about the Little Rock's history, especially about the 1957 crisis. Pat was a shero.
Please accept my deepest condolences for your lose..
May God's blessings be upon your family always!
May God's blessings be upon your family always!
Momma knew how much John, myself, Mark, Sarah, and Johnny loved her. We cared for her for some time while living next door. So many times she would call Johnny over to fix her tv/remote, to repeat again. She loved coming over almost daily for our dinners. She so adored Sarah’s son, Ethan. She always commented on how smart he was. We will miss her immensely. I personally cherish the many afternoons and nights visiting with her through the years. Yes, she was an outstanding lady. So many accomplishments for our community. When she came to a point with the dementia that she was loosing her memory, I told her all the time that she was truly blessed to actually live one day at a time, that each morning was always a new beginning bringing so many wonderments. She was always such a confidant and a dear momma to me.
Love you momma Pat
Will meet again…..
We had a good relationship because of "all the kids"!
She & I had a great relationship, because of "all the kids"!
My condolences and prayers for the entire family. I know she will be truly missed.
I am so sorry. After I first met Pat, she made me feel like her new best friend. She was a brilliant woman and will surely be missed by many
My condolences to John, Missy and By and the rest of the family
Prayers and Love, Barbara Lee
Prayers to the family,condolences on your loss.
An amazing women, my condolences to the family.
I’m so sorry about Pat. I won’t be able to make it. I had a stroke about 3 weeks ago. Needless to say I’m slowly recovering.
Thinking of you and your family