1937-2024
Pat “Mum” Culverhouse passed away on November 25, 2024. Born in New Jersey, she moved to Hollywood, Florida with her parents and younger siblings, Terri and Tommy in the 1950s. There, Pat finished high school, worked as a waitress, and competed as Queen of the Dania Tomato Festival–she won! She married John Culverhouse, a carpenter and eventual home builder in 1956, and moved to their first home in Pompano Park in 1961. Here she thrived as a paneled-station wagon driving homemaker, an Elaine Power disciple, meatloaf maker and PTA room mom helping daughter Tracey make posters for her run as 5th grade class president.
In 1977, Johnny built their second home in Lake Worth where daughters Terri and Tricia were able to become equestrians, turning Pat into the quintessential horse mom. It was in Lake Worth where Pat became a 4-H leader, football and little league mom of little John, Avon seller, an expert coupon clipper and a proficient driver of a horse trailer .
Pat and Johnny built another home in Brooksville where they finally settled in 1979. Pat attended the LVN program at PHCC, and although she was the top student, raising her family took priority. However, upon losing Johnny to cancer in 1987, at age 50, Pat reinvented herself. She went back to school to study at PHCC alongside her daughter Terri, becoming a certified medical assistant, working until she retired in 1998. During retirement she traveled to Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, lived a year in San Francisco and moved to Pasadena, California in 2003 where she lived for 8 years and helped care for her two grandsons from her youngest daughter. In Pasadena, she volunteered in the library at the Pasadena Senior Center and enjoyed attending All Saints Church, making new friends wherever she went. She finally settled back in Brooksville in 2011 where she volunteered at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, getting the most joy working in their thrift store and food pantry.
To say Pat loved dogs would be an understatement, as her dogs were often her best companions, especially when she became widowed at the age of 50. Pat always had a dog, counting Bubba, then Jasmine as her favorite pit bull rescues and Dixie being her last beloved pet. She was an avid fiction reader, thrift shopper, church volunteer, tai-chi practitioner, armchair doctor and advice giver. She loved British TV, especially Doc Martin where she traveled to Cornwall, England to see where it was filmed in 2015. She always enjoyed traveling to new places, charming towns, and the ocean. She loved seafood, especially oysters on the half shell at Crackers in Crystal River. She also loved shopping at Aldi and loved reading every word of the newspaper.
Although surviving 3 cancers in her 60’s and 70’s she eventually ran out of gas at the age of 87 from a stroke. Her keen mind and wonderful wit were there until the end and she will be happily joining her predeceased husband Johnny, her mom and dad, nephew Roddy and her many beloved canines. She is survived by her sister Terri, brother Tommy, children Tracey, Terri, John and Tricia, son-in-law Juan Carlos, niece Lori and her husband Fred, grandchildren Brock, PJ, Lindsay, Corey, John, Mixtli, Roan, great-grandchildren Jordan, Camryn, Logan, Kaya, Kobe, Sky, Jada, Kiley, Lana, Korbin, Kenedee, Karson and great-great-granddaughter Tyler and grandniece Sarah and grandnephew William.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 14, 2024 12:30pm at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 2301 Deltona Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 43606.