Mrs. PATRICIA CATHERINE NESRSTA ETIER

Fort Worth, Texas – As of Sunday, July 11, please update your contact list to reflect Pat’s new address. We don’t know the zip code for Heaven, but presume the peaceful delivery was immediate. We are heartbroken, but ever so joy-filled that she is without pain and is reunited with her beloved, Ed. Patricia Catherine Nesrsta Etier, a native of San Antonio who pledged her heart to her beloved husband, his Fort Worth hometown, and her treasured family, died peacefully early Sunday morning, July 11, surrounded by her loved ones. We are heartbroken, but ever so joy-filled that she is without pain and reunited with her precious Ed. Service: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 6150 Pershing Ave, Fort Worth TX 76107. Her cremated remains will be placed privately with those of her husband on the family plot in Greenwood Memorial Park. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to Holy Family Catholic School, 6146 Pershing Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107, DRC Solutions (formerly Day Resource Center for the Homeless) Post Office Box 0871, Fort Worth, TX 76101, WestAid, 7940 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76116, or to a charity of your choice, in her memory, is suggested. The youngest of 10 children, Pat was born in San Antonio the daughter of Charles Eugene and Anna Zigelbauer Nesrsta. The family enjoyed evenings participating in its own orchestra with siblings playing varied instruments. Although her father died when she was three, the love of music permeated family life and led to Pat’s talent on the piano. She attended St. Cecelia parochial school, Incarnate Word High School, graduating as class salutatorian, and Incarnate Word College in San Antonio. In 1944, while visiting her injured sister at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, Pat met the new intern with the deep southern drawl, courtesy of attending medical school in Memphis, Tennessee, Edgar L. Etier Jr. Following a whirlwind courtship, Pat and Ed were married by the Episcopal Bishop of Dallas, a marriage rooted in Fort Worth that flourished for 64 years until Ed's death in 2007. As World War II drew to a close, they were stationed at four bases along the east coast. In March 1946, Ed deployed to Wurzberg, Germany, with the Army of Occupation, serving as chief medical officer at Wurzberg Rehabilitation Center. When Pat joined Ed in Wurzberg in July 1946 with infant Michele, she became only the 31st American wife in the community. Her sharing of stories of living in the bombed-out, war torn country where residents had lost so much, served to strengthen her volunteer spirit later in life. Following his terminal leave from the military, the little family returned to Fort Worth to open Ed’s private medical practice, and Pat honed her new talents of cooking and sewing. She worked in their medical office, discovered the wonders of her new hometown, and embraced volunteering for community endeavors. Being married to Ed was always an adventure with something new to see, taste, and do. Always. During the 1949 Trinity River flooding, she made numerous trips in her car to help evacuate families from the river’s edge and transported medications to protect rescuers. In the 1960s, she participated in the communitywide distribution of Sabin polio vaccine “sugar cubes.” Her initial clothing collection for one kindergarten class morphed into collecting clothing for Fort Worth’s school counselors to distribute, later evolving into the Children’s Closet ministry at University Christian Church. She served as chair of TCU Fine Arts, chair of Horton Howe/Junior Women’s Club, committee member of the Fort Worth Ballet, Tarrant County Medical Auxiliary, Medical Dames, Regional Science Fair Steering Committee, and fervent supporter of Indian Guides, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and all things public school related. She loved sharing her Czech-Austrian heritage with friends when holding “strudel stretch” holiday parties and gifting family with a loaf of the treasured recipe of Christmas vánočka (bread.) Pat and Ed loved to snow ski, dance, visit vineyards, and travel, including many a short trip to out-of-town TCU football games where Ed served as the first TCU team doctor. There was always a place at the table for football players who couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving because of the upcoming Saturday game. Four active children kept Pat busy but the best was yet to come. Of the many roles Pat embraced, one of the most important to her was that of grandmother, later great-grandmother. She loved hosting her grandchildren for weeks during the summers and showing them her beloved Fort Worth. Many of the opportunities included Zoo School at the Fort Worth Zoo, feeding koi at the Japanese Gardens, interacting with exotic animals at International Wildlife Park (the fond memory of a giraffe nibbling on her hair), and culinary experiences such as Mexican food at Joe T’s and never-ending choices at Colonial Cafeteria. She shared her love of cooking and sewing and included her granddaughters in her monthly sewing club. Many evenings included games of family solitaire, and no summer day was complete without a bet on the daily high temperature reading, followed by a call to the local weather station to determine the winner. “Minga” spoiled her grandchildren with homemade delights such as German chocolate cake, apple strudel, ice cream and tapioca pudding. The love and priceless memories Pat provided all her “grands” and “greats” will live in their hearts forever. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter, Michele Etier Davis; son, Dr. Lee Etier; and all nine of her siblings and their spouses. In addition to her son-in-law, Tom Davis, and daughters, Diane Etier Robertson and her husband, Haney, and Suzanne Etier, Pat is survived by her six grandchildren and their spouses, Thad and Sarah Davis, Bryan and Kelley Davis, Shannon and Nicole Davis, Kathleen and Kyle Willman, Aimee Etier and Michael Caldwell, and Noel Etier; her ten great-grandchildren and their spouses, Brandt Davis, Blake and Kathryn Davis, Bayli Davis, Max Davis, Addison Davis, Ford Davis, Maren Davis, William Davis, Cassidy Willman, and Alexander Willman; numerous nieces and nephews and their families; and special friends, Elvira Mosqueda and Donna Willis. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mrs. PATRICIA CATHERINE NESRSTA ETIER please visit our Sympathy Store.