Patricia May Powell

Patricia May Powell passed away on November 24, 2015 at Lutheran Village of Wolf Creek. Patricia was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on February 29,1924 to parents Neil Anton Anderson and Ellen Colwell Anderson. Patricia’s father died in 1928, and her mother remarried a few years later to Henry Callaway. Despite the early loss of her father, Patricia had a happy life in Australia with a wide circle of cousins and friends. During World War II she met George Powell, an American stationed with the United States Air Army Corps in Brisbane. George and Patricia fell in love and married at St James Church, Coorparoo in Brisbane in 1944. Their first child, Catherine, was born the following year. At the end of WWII, Patricia left her family in Australia and sailed with her young daughter on the USS Mariposa with other Australian war brides to the United States. She then travelled by train from San Francisco to Norfolk, VA to live with George’s parents, whom she had never met, until he returned with his Army/Air Corps unit. George’s military service shaped Patricia’s life in America, as his career as a non-commissioned officer took their growing family to live on many military bases across the United States. Patricia was often ready with a smile, and her happy nature meant she usually made friends easily each time the family moved. George was often away months at a time and the care of their three children, including a son with special needs, fell to her. Patricia loved her children and her husband very much, and George doted on her. A proud moment in Patricia’s life occurred when she became an American citizen in 1956. Patricia only made it back to Australia once, in 1979, and was able to see her mother, stepfather and sister again. Patricia had great talents as a cook and gardener. She could learn almost any craft with little effort, and her “Patricia’s creations” ranged across a wide variety of projects, including designing clothes for her children and grandchildren to painting to basket weaving. After George’s retirement, the family settled in Goldsboro, North Carolina where they enjoyed traveling, tending to their large garden, and spoiling their grandchildren. Following the death of her beloved husband and two of her children, she moved to Toledo to be near family. Patricia was preceded in death by her husband George, her daughter Candace Hildreth, her son Patrick Powell, and her great-granddaughter Caroline Keneally. She is survived by her sister Kay Power of Brisbane; her daughter Catherine Kerscher and her son-in-law John Kerscher of Toledo; her grandchildren Kristina Kerscher Keneally (Ben), Kevin Kerscher (Gwynne), Jeff Kerscher and Megan Patricia Hildreth; and her great-grandchildren Daniel Keneally, Brendan Keneally, George Kane Kerscher and Cassandra May Kerscher. Friends may visit at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd. on Monday, November 30 from 2-8 p.m. with a scripture service at 7 p.m. The funeral will begin in the mortuary on Tuesday, December 1 at 9:30 a.m. followed by the funeral mass at St. Joseph’s Church, Maumee, Ohio at 10. Burial will be in Dudley, North Carolina at Wayne Memorial Park. The family would to thank the staff of the Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek and Hospice of NW Ohio for their wonderful care. Memorials may take the form of contributions to Hospice of NW Ohio or Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek. Please view and sign the guest registry at CoyleFuneralHome.com.

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Patricia May Powell

February 29, 1924 - November 24, 2015