Patsy Ruth Smith Tillery, beloved Momma and Mema, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at her home in Elmore City, surrounded by the deep love of her family.

Born July 6, 1933, in Alma, Oklahoma, to Melvin and Florence Smith, Patsy lived a life defined by kindness, hard work, unwavering strength, and extraordinary devotion to her family.

Patsy grew up as one of 11 children on the family farm, where she learned early the value of hard work and the importance of family. Whenever someone talked about having to do more than their share of chores, Patsy would smile and say, "I remember there was always plenty of work for everybody."

On March 3, 1950, Patsy married the love of her life, Ralph Tillery. Together, they shared 60 years of love, laughter, family, and countless memories until his passing in 2010. They raised two children, a son, Jimmy, and a daughter, Angela.

There was not much Patsy could not do. She spent many years working at the Pauls Valley State School in Turner Clinic, where she cared for countless children. She was honored as State Aide of the Year by Gov. Raymond Geary for her outstanding dedication to the clients she served. She often reminisced about the "babies" she helped care for and the many lives she touched through her work.

Patsy retired from her nursing career in 1985, but retirement did not mean slowing down. She filled her days with the things she loved most: gardening, sewing, quilting, cooking, and caring for her grandchildren. She taught each of her five granddaughters how to sew, make their own clothes, and cook just about anything and everything.

After raising her children and helping guide her grandchildren, Patsy was blessed with six great-grandsons and two great-granddaughters. She continued to love, spoil, teach, and care for them with all the tenderness of their beloved Mema.

Patsy was known for her gentle spirit, steady strength, and the way she made everyone feel welcome. She had a gift for making people feel cared for. She expressed her love through the homemade quilts she proudly made and gave to those she loved, through meals prepared for someone who was sick or needed a little extra care, and through the quiet comfort of listening whenever one of her children or grandchildren needed a "soft place to land."

Her love was rarely loud or complicated. It was found in everyday things: a warm meal, a handmade quilt, a lesson at the sewing machine, a garden full of something she had grown, or a listening ear when someone needed it most.

Patsy leaves behind a legacy of hard work, compassion, resilience, and unconditional love. The lessons she taught, the traditions she passed down, and the love she gave so freely will continue through every generation that follows her.

She is survived by her son, Jimmy Tillery and wife Donna of Elmore City, Oklahoma, and her daughter, Angela Owens and husband Ralph of Fox, Oklahoma; her granddaughters, Christy Looney and husband Chris of Elmore City, Jana Galaviz and husband Charles of Elmore City, Dana Lau and husband Alexander of Edmond, Elizabeth Sam and husband Andy of Pauls Valley, and Sarah Owens of Fox.

She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Colby Arie and wife Tori of Pauls Valley, Colin Arie and wife Amanda of Ponca City, Kaleb Galaviz and wife Devin of Maysville, Emily Slater and husband Caleb of Edmond, Carter Ainsworth and wife Lauren of Shawnee, Carson Ainsworth and Kendall Nance of Edmond, Allen Vydra of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Riley Owens of Fox; as well as her great-great-grandchildren, MJ Arie, Julia Arie, Parker Arie, Jaxon Galaviz, Charlotte "Charli" Slater, and Lloyd Taylor, with another great-great-granddaughter, Olivia Slater, soon to be welcomed into the family.

Patsy was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph Tillery; her parents, Melvin and Florence Smith; and her siblings, Melvin Smith, Robert "Bob" Smith, Eugene Smith, Clifton Smith, Charles Smith, Rufus Smith, Violet McMullin, Betty Bullard, Barbara Ann Palmer, and an infant sister.

Family will accept friends on Monday, September 28, 2026 from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Wooster Funeral Home in Elmore City, Oklahoma. A memorial service celebrating Patsy's life will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at First Baptist Church in Elmore City, followed by burial at Elmore City Cemetery.

Family and friends will gather to honor Patsy's life, share memories, and celebrate the beautiful impact she made on so many lives.

She was Momma. She was Mema. She was a teacher, a caregiver, a maker of quilts and meals, a keeper of traditions, and a soft place to land.

Her hands may no longer be here to sew, cook, garden, or hold us—but everything she taught those hands to do will live on in the generations she leaves behind