IN MEMORIAM
PATTY CLIF LANE TOMS
9/13/23 – 5/23/11

Patty Clif Lane Toms, 87, of Deltaville and Richmond, passed away on May 23, 2011 at the Richmond home of her daughter, Kenney Toms Cobb. After her family of five children said farewell, she went peacefully to join her husband of 63 years, Raymond Ezra Toms, who predeceased her. She is survived by her daughters, Sara Spoerri of Capitan, NM, Anne Richardson of Norfolk, VA, and Kenney Cobb of Richmond; sons, Lewis of Statesville, NC, and Michael of Charlottesville; 12 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. Kenney and Mike remain active members of FBYC.

Pat was born in Mount Sterling, KY, attended Mount Sterling High School and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Library Science.

In 1954, Pat and Ray made the Richmond area their home. In addition to cheering on Ray and her children in their sailing pursuits, Pat served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, volunteer school aide, Sunday school teacher and helped with local theater productions at the Lewis Ginter Recreation Association and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She also served on the vestry of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. In 1965, Pat went back to school and earned a Master’s degree in Special Education from VCU. She then served as a special education teacher for 20 years at Stonewall Jackson Elementary and the Richmond Cerebral Palsy Center.

Upon her retirement in 1988, Pat and Ray moved to a home on Jackson Creek in Deltaville, VA. An avid traveler, she filled her passport with trips to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Korea. She and Ray enjoyed a rafting trip down the Colorado River. In Deltaville and Middlesex County, Pat was a volunteer for the Friends of the Library, the Women’s Guild of Christ Church and was active in the Women’s Club of Deltaville. Retirement in Deltaville gave her the opportunity to grow a bountiful fruit, flower and vegetable garden for many years, with blooms that could be seen from FBYC across Jackson Creek.

Pat was not an enthusiastic sailor, as she never failed to shriek when a sailboat tipped too far, betraying her firm roots in the rolling hills of Kentucky bluegrass. In her children’s younger years the shriek was unsettling, but later in life somehow reassuring. Pat was always there though to support her husband, children, and grandchildren in their nautical pursuits. Pat and Ray joined FBYC in 1964; and in 2003, FBYC elected them to Life Membership for Ray’s many years of service to the club.

Memorial services will be held at Philippi Christian Church, 17276 General Puller Highway, Deltaville, VA, at 2 P.M. on Thursday, May 26, 2011. Interment will be at Machpelah Cemetery in Mt. Sterling, KY. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Friends of the Deltaville Library, 35 Lover’s Lane, Deltaville, VA 23043, or the Middlesex Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 98, Deltaville, VA 23043, in memory of Patty Toms.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE