Patricia Dyehouse—just "Pat," not "Miss Pat"—passed away in her home of 52 years on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the age of 93, after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Pat was kind, caring, energetic, intelligent, and outgoing. Fiercely independent, especially after the death of her husband, Jim, in 2009, she prided herself on staying fit and sharp in mind, body, and spirit—still taking fitness classes well into her 80s. Friends would often ask her daughter how Pat was doing, and the answer was always: "Still wrestling alligators!"

Born in Asheville, NC, to James and Alma Rhash, Pat trained as a nurse at Charlotte Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. Her 1952 yearbook caption described her as "ambitious, industrious, easily touched, sentimental, punctual and likes to 'bop.'" And bop she did—meeting her husband, James (Jim) Dyehouse, on a blind double date at a dance. They settled in Pensacola in 1966 with their three children: David James Dyehouse of Plano, TX; Samuel Thomas Dyehouse (deceased); and Sara Kay Dyehouse of Pensacola, FL.

Pat spent her four-decade nursing career as an operating room circulating nurse and later as an administrator at Sacred Heart Hospital and West Florida Hospital. Though she found OR nursing stressful, she loved the challenge and was proud of her contributions to health care and the patients in her care.

Outside of work and family, Pat never let the dust settle. She volunteered as an usher at the Saenger Theater for more than 25 years, was active in the Pensacola Garden Club, and, with Jim, became a Master Gardener. An avid outdoorswoman, she hiked, canoed, and bird-watched across the Southeast, and remained a lifelong supporter of the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Audubon Society, and other environmental groups. She and Jim also supported the University of West Florida, where he worked, and Pat delighted in UWF's Leisure Learning programs and cultural events.

A voracious reader, she belonged to the same book club for decades and was a devoted Friend of the Library. She and Jim were regulars at WSRE and WUWF's Radio Live events, often caught on film tapping their feet to whatever music was playing.

Pat gave her time generously to Cokesbury United Methodist Church, the Manna Food Bank, and many local organizations. She was also a founding member of Ever'man Natural Foods Co-Op, helping it grow from a fledgling idea to a thriving community resource. She and Jim loved to travel, both across the U.S. and abroad, and never met a stranger—often swapping homes with international visitors long before such a thing was common.

Pat is survived by her son, David; daughter, Sara; granddaughter, Samantha; great-granddaughter, Amory; brother, Ossie; and sister-in-law, Charlotte. Her family is grateful for the help of local hospice agencies and the many nurses and aides who tried to ease her suffering in the final years of Alzheimer's disease. Special heartfelt thanks go to all the caregivers who attended to her every need and want with love and patience, especially in her final months. You are all angels from heaven!

To honor her memory: read a book, plant a tree, hike a trail, protect our seashore, support organizations that serve those in need, or donate to the Alzheimer's Association. Be kind—to yourself, to others, and to the planet. That is what she would want most of all.

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