Patricia Pearl Lefoldt Shappley, beloved by family and friends, died peacefully on March 29, 2022, in Houston with her family by her side. A private memorial will be held on April 7th at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston with a celebration of her life to follow at The Houstonian Hotel.

 

Known for a smile that could light up a room, Patsy was born in Jackson, Mississippi on April 15, 1948, to her parents Katherine Ellis and Marion Julius Lefoldt. Patsy graduated from Murrah High School in 1966 where childhood friends admired her courage, strength and humor. When Patsy tried to quit the band in junior high, her mother reminded her that “We aren’t quitters!” That’s how Patsy lived her life.

 

Patsy attended Stephen’s College and was a graduate of Millsaps with a Masters in Special Education from the University of Mississippi. She worked for the Mississippi State Department of Education for 40+ years and traveled around the state implementing President Ford’s 1975 legislation, which assured children with special needs received an equal educational opportunity. She also served as the Interim Superintendent for the Mississippi School for the Deaf in 1989.

 

A devoted member of her community and church, Patsy served as Director of the Altar guild at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Vicksburg, where she was a communicant for over 25 years. She was a member of the Junior League of Jackson and the Debutante Club of Mississippi. Friends say that Patsy made you feel like you were the only person in the room. She never missed a birthday and sent touching cards each year to friends and family near and far. Always up for a celebration, Patsy was the adored Queen of the Mystic Krewe of Kudzu Mardi Gras celebrations for many years. Patsy was loyal to her husband Shap. Best friends for 50 years and married for 41, she and Shap loved to dance and once won a disco contest while on vacation in Guadalajara.

 

Patsy’s family was her proudest accomplishment, and she will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband William Louis Shappley, Jr.; two children, Katherine (John) Shappley Condon of Austin and Will (Rebecca) Shappley of Houston; six grandchildren, William, Thomas, Katherine, Henry, Mary Ellis and Miles. Patsy is also survived by her sister, Deborah (Rob) Kinnaird of Ridgefield, CT and sister-in-law Lynn (Hamp) of Jackson. She was preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Ralph Farr. She is also survived by five cousins Ken (Maetta) Lefoldt of Ridgeland, MS, Richard (Kay) Lefoldt of Madison, MS, Larry (Mary Anne) Lefoldt of Ridgeland, MS, and Beverly Nations of Brookhaven, MS; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

 

In lieu of flowers, Patsy requested that donations be made in her honor to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The JDRF is a non-profit that funds research to combat type 1 diabetes and is close to all of our hearts as we support Patsy’s niece, Mary Ellis, and the other young warriors dominating this disease.

 

www.jdrf.org/memorial

 

Patsy’s funeral will be available via live stream on April 7, 2022, at 2:00 CT

 

https://stmartinsepiscopal.org/funerals/