Patricia Ann Lynch

 Obituary for Patricia Lynch 

Patricia “Patsy” Ann (Neeley) Lynch was born on May 21, 1937 in Nashville, Tennessee to Lynwood Neeley and Catherine (St. Charles) Neeley. Patsy passed away peacefully in her home on May 20, 2024 surrounded by loved ones, just one day before her 87th birthday. Patsy lived an exceptional life.  

She was a graduate of the Cathedral School and married her high school sweetheart, James Nicholas Lynch, in 1959 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Cathedral of Incarnation. Together, Nick and Patsy traveled all over the world during his military career. She was a proud Army wife, and embraced that role with the utmost respect and love. 

Patsy was a self-taught piano player. From a very young age, she entertained folks with her piano skills at countless gatherings. Her Italian cooking was that of legend with many people requesting her spaghetti and meatball recipe, but never being able to fully recreate it at the same level as hers. 

 She was always busy working and raising her family. She loved working at thrift stores, had her real estate license at one time, took classes to become an auctioneer, and even had a hair extension business with her friend, Botchie, called “Phony Tails.”  

 She spent many years working at an event planning company. She worked as a tour guide shuttling middle schoolers to many landmarks such as Washington, D.C., New York, Disney, and even Hawaii. During this time, she earned the nickname “Mammy Duck” for her bright yellow outfits and the ability to get a group of teenagers to follow dutifully behind her. Patsy was never one to slow down. She enjoyed estate sales so much that she decided it would just be easier to work them instead of shopping at them, and spent most of her weekends running estate sales well into her eighties. 

Boasting perhaps the largest extended family ever known to man, Patsy accepted every single person she met lovingly into her life as one of her own. “Call me Mammy,” she would say when introduced, and then would wrap you in a big hug to solidify that you were family now. To know her was to love her, and many people loved her. 

Her favorite place was her home on Kentucky Lake in Waverly, Tennessee, which she appropriately named “At Last.” Visitors to At Last were encouraged to take time to appreciate the beauty of God’s grace by pausing every evening to enjoy sunsets over the lake.  

If you were truly lucky, she would sit down at the piano to play her original song, “Look at the View.”  

Now honey, please don’t you weep

Oh, when they bury me deep 

Underneath the skies so blue 

On a cloud way up there 

In my gold rockin’ chair 

Honey, I’ll be lookin’ at the view 

Ohhhh, honey, I’ll be lookin’ at the view

A collector of quirky antiques, she was known to redecorate any space she entered. When a dear friend received the message that Mammy had passed, he responded, “Get ready, Lord. Heaven is about to be redecorated!”  

If you know her, you know that she was a lover of animals, especially her dogs. She said she would be in charge of the Rainbow Bridge one day….imagine that! 

Patsy is preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, James Nicholas Lynch, her grandson, Eli Erwin, her parents, Catherine and Lynwood Neeley, her brother Frank Neeley and his wife Jane.  

She is survived by her sister, Nancy (Martin) Poe, sister-in-law, Sissy Lynch, many loving cousins, nieces and nephews. 

She was dutifully cared for at the end of her life by her children, Kelly (Tim) Stewart, Nick (Denise) Lynch, Lori (Karl) Kolb, and Katy Lynch.  

One of the highlights of her life were her nine grandchildren, who affectionately called her Mammy. She loved them all immensely and referred to each one of them as her Favorite Grandchild. Her grandchildren are Jimbo (Taylor) Britt, Ashlee (Parker) Cole, Jimmy (Adrienne) Stewart, Justin (Kyana) Stewart, Eric (Emily) Britt, Will (Katie) Stewart, Jackson Lynch, Eli Erwin and Miles Erwin.  

She was also deeply loved by her 12 great-grandchildren, James Ethan Lynch, Nicholas Britt, Lauren Schutt, Matthew Schutt, Ella Britt, Hank Britt, Ashton Stewart, Harper Britt, Natalie Britt, Archer Stewart, Brody Stewart, and Colin Cole. 

We invite all of you to join us in celebrating her beautiful legacy at St. Henry Church. Visitation will be on Tuesday, May 28th, from 4:00 - 6:00 PM and before Mass on Wednesday, May 29th from 9:00 - 10:00 AM. A Memorial Mass will be held directly after at 10:00 AM.  

Carpe diem, Mammy. May we all live life as you did - to the absolute fullest. You are on to your next great adventure…one where the views are spectacular. 

WE LOVE YOU DEARLY!! 

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Aveanna Hospice and St. Henry Church Ministry to the Sick and Homebound.

In lieu of flowers donations may be to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Camp Marymount.