Patricia Lynn Mears

Patricia (Patti) Mears (née Flatley) passed peacefully in her home on James Island in Charleston, SC on January 2nd, 2024. She was 72 years old. She was born in Panama City, Panama in 1951 to Georgie Lofton Flatley and William F. Flatley.
 
Patti was the kind of mother who always did what was best for her boys. She spent the better part of her life making sure they became responsible, compassionate men who have gone on to become wonderful parents in their own right. She worked with Alzheimer's patients making crafts, which was such a hallmark trait of Patti: showing up for and sharing something she loved with people who may not remember her or the time spent with her. But that's not what mattered to Patti. Seeing their faces light up with the joy of creating something in that moment was all she was after. 

She was loved by everyone who met her. There was something about getting Patti to smile that brightened your heart. Her love was not freely given, but once it was, you wanted to stand in the glow of that light as long as possible. And while she preferred the quiet life at home with her late husband Carl, she also had a wild streak that found her doing things like picking pears from the roof of a car while her Aunt Jean drove or canoeing to a tree house in the middle of the wilderness. Her beloved Island Girls most definitely have stories to share about the impish side of Patti that peeked through every so often.

She was Granny to four grandchildren who adored her, and she did her Granny-best by making sure they all knew just how much they were loved in return. She had a daughter-in-law who also loved her very much, not just as a mother-in-law, but as her friend as well. 

Because honestly, to know Patti was to love her. She was a practical woman with a secret romantic side. She loved collecting seashells and lighthouses just as much as she loved going on an international adventure (maybe), as long as she was with one of the people she loved most in this world. And by those that are left behind, she will be missed deeply every single day. But we can only imagine the joyous revelry that is being had as she is received by her mother, sister, and beloved Carl that have been waiting for her on the other side.

"Just remember death is not the end." -Bob Dylan