Patricia R. Palmer, known to many as "Tricia" or "Pat", passed away, Thursday, November 5, 2020, at her home at the age of 71 after years of health problems.
She was born in Ft. Benning, GA and grew up in Chattanooga, TN. As an "army brat", she also spent 18 months of her childhood in Germany. She graduated from UT Knoxville (Go Vols!) with a degree in Art History and became a teacher at Soddy Elementary School until the birth of her son in 1979.From then on, she was a homemaker, but never lost her passion for art and the Arts, sometimes volunteering as an "Art Mom" at her son's elementary school and as a docent for local museums.
Tricia had a love of doing the unexpected and spontaneous with others, and enjoyed meeting and talking to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. She was generous with her time and other resources when she saw she could help.
She had a seemingly endless well of creativity and could color outside the lines or ignore the lines altogether. Her creativity took many forms: painting, sketching, glass slumping, jewelry making, pottery, and many other mediums.
Tricia had a near-legendary palate and could replicate a dish after a single meal. She threw both surprise and catered parties and was known to try out new recipes on her family, usually with great success.
As a longtime feminist and liberal idealist, she believed in peace, love, and tolerance. She taught her son that being "quirky" or "weird" were assets in a world that encourages conformity, and that thinking outside of the box and questioning the status quo were not only useful personality traits, but absolutely necessary for effectively navigating through life.
Even as she aged and her health declined, she never lost her inquisitive mind, her off-kilter way of looking at things, and her sharp wit and sense of humor.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hazeline Revill Sharp and Daniel Revill; her step-father, Carl Sharp, and her husband of 48 years, William Edward Palmer.
She is survived by her sister, Pamela Revill; her son, William Edward Palmer, Jr., and her daughter-in-law, Brandi Palmer. She also leaves behind several lifelong friends, some dating as far back as the first grade.
Her gift of gab and enthusiastic spirit will be missed by all who knew her.
The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, to please consider donating to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
There will be a memorial for family and friends once COVID-19 has subsided, likely mid-2021.
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