Pat Ballew

With her husband holding one hand and her son holding the other, Patricia Ann Ballew peacefully left the bounds of Earth and entered into the presence of her Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven on Monday, Feb. 27, after experiencing a sudden stroke the previous day. She was 74. Pat was born on Nov. 10, 1942 in Houston, Texas. She was the only child of Theodore J. Hutchison, editor of the Houston Chronicle and a 1925 graduate of Texas A&M University, and Jeanne Serville, her vivacious and loving mother who was a writer and worked as a school secretary. They made their home on a small farm in South Houston under a canopy of pecan trees, surrounded by lush grass, grazing cows and a long chicken coop with several reading places for young and precocious ""Patty Ann."" She graduated as salutatorian from South Houston High School in 1960 and attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, where she cultivated many deep and lifelong friendships as a member of the Delta Zeta sorority. She transferred her senior year to the University of Houston and earned a degree in English. Fresh out of college, Pat taught high school English and Texas History. She was married to Richard Schmitt, a clinical psychologist, and together they had their son Justin before divorcing when he was two years old. Looking for a new start, Pat moved to Durango, Colorado with her young son and best friend Gretchen Garrett and her daughters Kelly and Meredith. The Garretts moved back to Texas, but Pat made a good life for herself and her son, carving out a meaningful career as a social worker for La Plata County Social Services, where she facilitated adoptions for hundreds of children in need. It was in Durango where Pat met the love of her life, attorney Mike Ballew. They were introduced by a mutual friend Maria Holt at First Baptist Church, where they both were members. They spent countless hours in Mike's Jeep Waggoner, and despite the vehicle's broken heater, they explored the beauty of the San Juan mountains with its surrounding mining towns. They married on Nov. 1, 1986 at First Baptist, honeymooned in the Bahamas, and soon after relocated to Denver, where Pat attended the University of Denver, earning a masters degree in social work. She went on to work for the State of Colorado, where she was the out-of-home placement manager for the state, and later part of a team that built a revolutionary technology system that managed out-of-home placements and provisions for children in need throughout the state. Pat and Mike shared a love for each other as well as Colorado, the mountains, and found joy together in the simple routines of life - reading the newspaper, preparing a meal, visiting friends, going to Costco, helping those in need, praying for others, traveling near and far, and being active members Mississippi Avenue Baptist church. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in 2016 with a trip to Charlestown, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, where they enjoyed each other as well as the local seafood. Pat is survived by her loving husband Mike Ballew, her son Justin Schmitt (Dana) and grandchildren Connor, age 13, and Madelyn, age 11. Pat and Mike found special joy in being grandparents, taking on the names ""Gran and Grandpa Mike."" They made trips to visit San Antonio for Madi's violin performances and to see Connor play baseball and crossover from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts. A celebration of Pat's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church, followed by a reception. In lieu of gifts, donations can be made in her name to Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, where Mike attended undergraduate school. Mike and Justin would like to express deep appreciation to the many friends and family members who have reached out with an outpouring of love and support. ""So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God."" Romans 7:4