Obituary of Patricia Walton Williamson

On December 16, 2022, Patricia (Pat) Walton Williamson passed away peacefully in her beloved adopted state of Colorado at the age of 81, with her husband Duane (her “angel”) by her side.

Pat, then known as Patty, was born to Elsie and Frances Walton in 1941 in Daytona Beach, Florida. She grew up in a house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean designed by her father, an AIA fellow. Patty lost her mother to Leukemia at a young age and as a result, developed an incredible sense of empathy that she carried for others her entire life.

After exploring various educational opportunities at University of Florida and later community college, Pat enrolled at Florida State University to study data processing and computer science, fields she would excel at and continue to study as a both an MBA and PhD student.

Pat was a woman of firsts. She was in the inaugural co-ed MBA graduating class of Florida State University, she was one of the first female supervising professionals on a closed military installation, and she was one of the first women to lead a team for the Boeing Company as a process engineer, supporting NASA and the International Space Station.

Pat met Duane at Western Kentucky University when she served on the hiring committee that recommended Duane be hired to join the library staff. After a brief courtship, Duane decided to “head West” to Colorado and asked Pat to join him; she agreed and only later thought to ask whether they would be getting married. They were married in Bowling Green, Kentucky before beginning their inaugural journey together out West.

Pat and Duane lived in Kentucky, Colorado, Utah (twice), Alaska and Virginia before retiring to picturesque Divide, Colorado, where they designed and built a home with views of both Pike’s Peak and the Sangre de Christo Mountains that was large enough to house both Duane’s ever-expanding library and Pat’s various hobbies, including wildflower gardening.

Pat is survived by her devoted husband of 48 years, Duane, her daughter Suzy Williamson (Jason Peckham), her son Matt Williamson (Megan) and grandchildren Macy and Miles, sister Suzi Fussell (Sonny) and many nieces and nephews. The family will hold a private ceremony celebrating Pat’s life, which will include honoring her status as a Neil Diamond superfan, at a later date.