Patricia A. Wilson

Patricia Ann “Pattie” Follmer Wilson, 67, of Cross Junction, Virginia, died Monday, October 21, 2013, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
Mrs. Wilson was born in 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of the late William and Reeva Follmer. She was a graduate of Custer High School in Milwaukee. Pattie always wanted to help people and selected a career as a Medical Unit Secretary working at St. Michael’s Hospital in Milwaukee and Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, Virginia. Patty also was a day care provider at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany and in Dale City, Virginia.
She married Michael David Wilson, on May 7, 1977, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the happiest day of his life. In 1977 when Mike joined the Air Force, Pattie provided the much needed love and support for them to turn what was intended to be a 4 year tour into a 26 year career for both of them. Pattie and Mike were stationed at Lowry AFB, Colorado; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany; and their final 15 years in the military at the White House Communications Agency, Washington DC.

She was a fun loving and adventurous person who enjoyed people (especially children) and loved to travel. She enjoyed being with friends and family participating in all kinds of activities including skiing, swimming, soft ball, bowling, volleyball, shopping and much more. Her other great love were the many dogs throughout her life who provided such great companionship and happiness.

She took advantage of her travel opportunities throughout her life, but, especially during their military tour. She was able to ski, camp and site see in the Rocky Mountains; travel the Great Plains when in Nebraska; visit over 12 European countries (including Paris, London, Rome, East Berlin (before the unification) and Amsterdam) while stationed in Germany; she continued her travels back in the U.S. by visiting 10 more states and visited many of the Caribbean islands on several cruises with family and friends.

Pattie worked as an in home Day Care provider on base in Germany providing the opportunity to both work with children and to help fund the family travel. She was often referred the hardest to handle kids from the Base Day Care center. Pattie, if asked, would tell you they are only kids who just need a little extra support and the kids loved her. The Base Day Care recognized her achievements and nurturing capability with a Certificate of Appreciation upon her departure.

Also while in Germany, she volunteered to chaperon the local military 6th grade school children on their annual trips to Rome where she supervised 5 or more children as they visited historical sites in Rome including the Vatican (plus a side trip or two to the Gucci store for a small gift); she also chaperoned the High School chorus when they performed in the former Yugoslavia. Here she provided additional moral support and comfort to the anxious teens when the Libya crisis broke out during their visit that resulted in numerous Russian war ships anchoring just off shore outside their hotel.

Pattie passed on her love for travel to the many children she cared for in Germany, often taking them on local trips to castles and parks, and even taking some of them on Wilson family vacation trips in Europe. She continued to share her love of travel with her grandsons taking them on their first trips to Disney World; the beaches in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware; the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia; Hershey Park; Washington DC including trips to the White House; New York City during Thanksgiving school breaks; and many other places.
Surviving with her husband, is her beloved daughter, Kimberly Braun of North Carolina; her two grandsons who are the loves of her life, who always made her proud of their accomplishment and for the wonderful young men they have become: Brenden Peverill of Woodbridge, Virginia and Austen Peverill of Port Wentworth, Georgia; her sisters, Barbara Poytinger of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Debora Tonn of Grafton, Wisconsin, and Pamela Pedersen of 3 Lakes, Wisconsin, and her brother, William Follmer of Rhinelander, Wisconsin; her favorite Mother-in-Law, Arlene Wilson of Brookfield, Wisconsin who always made her feel loved and cherished; and her dogs, Sugar and Sassy.

Pattie is already missed but, will be always in our hearts and part of our lives.

All services with Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel will be private. The interment of her ashes at Pinelawn Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin will also be private.