The early morning hours of Thursday, April 23, 2026. Patricia Louise Wilson took her last breath at her daughter Patti’s home in Cartersville, Georgia. She was 89 years old. Her family surrounded her.
Pat, as everyone called her, grew up moving from place to place. Her father served in the Army. One significant stretch of her childhood took place in postwar Germany. That experience gave her a worldview most Americans her age never developed. She even had an audience with Pope Pius XII in Rome. She remembered it for the rest of her life.
Sports came early to her. She played basketball at the University of Kentucky. But that was only the beginning. She competed in amateur jai alai, a fast paced game most people have never heard of. She also became a skilled bowler. She appeared on the Miami Herald’s top ten bowlers list well into her seventies. Professionals like Paula Carter competed against her. Pat could have turned pro herself. She chose motherhood instead.
Her romantic life started with a baseball game. Jack Wilson asked a friend where to find her. The friend said, “Patsy’s home watching a baseball game.” Jack proposed on their third date. They married on October 10, 1959. That marriage lasted decades.
For years, Pat stayed on ballfields. She coached. She scouted. She kept score with precision. Young athletes learned from her. She noticed details others missed. Her energy at games was contagious.
The family will hold a Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Cartersville on May 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow. Pat leaves behind her daughter Patti and other relatives. What she also leaves is a record of athletic achievement that never became famous but was deeply respected by everyone who watched her play.
