- Date Of Birth: February 10, 1941
- Date Of Death: May 9, 2012
- State: Texas
February 10, 1941 – May 9, 2012
It is with profound sadness that her family announces the passing of Patricia Elizabeth Nevins McIlhenny on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, following a lengthy illness. Pat was a devoted wife”a caring, giving mother”a beloved grandmother”wise aunt”loving sister. Her innate calm and patience and willingness to listen were among her most endearing qualities. She was born February 10, 1941, in New Albany, Indiana. As a youngster, the family moved to Houston and later, Webster, Texas, where she grew up. She graduated from Clear Creek High School in League City where she served as editor of the school newspaper, among a host of other extracurricular activities. She was a popular member of the Class of 1959 and attended her 50th class reunion in 2009. Pat chose Trinity University in San Antonio as her next step. She was an active member of the college community during her four years as a journalism major, and was the editor of the campus newspaper under the mentorship of Professor Paul Busch. Mr. Busch remained a lifelong friend. After graduation in 1963, Pat worked as a writer in public relations and related fields. In 1968, she found her way back to San Antonio and worked for what was then the Urban Renewal Agency for the city, later the San Antonio Development Agency. For the next 24 years, she worked as assistant to Executive Director Winston Martin on city development projects such as HemisFair, Market Square and the Alamodome. She took great pride in her work and formed a lifelong friendship with Mr. Martin and his family. At times, Pat returned to her roots in journalism and worked at several area weekly newspapers as editor. She loved words, proper grammar, correct punctuation and excelled at headline and page layout long before computers were the norm. Pat seemed to feel she could and should have done more in her life but, in retrospect, she accomplished more than most. Those who knew her found her to be intelligent, clever, and generous of spirit. She worked hard, observed life with a sly sense of humor and found her true contentment in her family and friends. She was a Renaissance Woman, humbly knowledgeable and passionate about a seemingly endless number of subjects. She was a great lover of sports of all kind. Decades before women covering sports teams was commonplace, one of her first reporting jobs was covering a minor league baseball team for the Brenham Banner Press. She was a devoted viewer of The Olympics and the Tour de France. Above all, Pat was a dedicated and proud San Antonio Spurs fan. Pat leaves behind her loving husband of 39 years, John, and their three adoring daughters: Allison (son-in-law Loyd) Guillot, Courtney (son-in-law Christian) Megliola, and Robin McIlhenny. Outside of her three girls, Pat found her greatest joy in granddaughters Catherine (“Catie”) and Sarah Guillot. Catie and her Nana shared an uncanny connection, as anyone could see, while Sarah delighted her constantly with her antics. Pat is also survived by her brother, Paul (“Buddy”) Nevins, and his wife, Mikki, and nephews Jamison, Brandon and Dana Nevins and their families, and sister Phyllis Nevins Thomas and her husband Bill, predeceased by beloved nephew, Paul Thomas. In addition, she is survived by her stepchildren Pam Kalivas, John McIlhenny, Beth Reasor and their families. She also leaves behind decades-old friendships from high school, college and work. These friends surely will treasure their memories of Pat as she was a true and loyal soul. On behalf of her family, son-in-law Christian Megliola wrote this about Pat, “She was smart, warm, funny, selfless, fearless. More than anything, she had the ability to impart those traits to the people she loved – to make us feel like her strengths were actually ours. That was her ultimate gift, and because of it, she lives on.
