Patricia Anne "Patsy" Whited Kresse

Patricia Anne Whited Kresse, 77, of Maryville, Tennessee passed away on October 29, 2019 at the University of Tennessee hospital after an extended illness.

Born in Ben Hur, Virginia, on June 25, 1942 to Leonard Howard Whited and Jennie Pearl Maddox Whited, Patricia, or “Patsy,” was the second of two children. Raised in Monarch, Virginia, with her sister, Peggy, she was a proud St. Charles Midget. After graduation she moved to Dayton, Ohio with her friend Wanda Hayes and worked as a telephone operator for Ohio Bell.

During Patsy’s time in Dayton, she met Henry Kresse (Jay) through a blind date, and the two were married six months later in February 1962. Patsy and Jay had two children, Tanvia and Tim, and raised them in the Dayton, Ohio area. After Jay’s retirement, they moved to East Tennessee to be closer to Patsy’s family and her beloved St. Charles home.

Patsy had a strong faith instilled from her parents and her years of attendance at Beacon Light Missionary Baptist Church in Monarch. This faith carried her through two battles with cancer earlier in her life and also provided her with strength and comfort to face her recent illness.

In addition to being a homemaker, Patsy worked outside the home as a manager of the JoAnn Fabrics store in Englewood, Ohio, was a very successful Home Interiors consultant, and, finally, worked for 15 years at Dollywood, retiring in 2010. She made numerous friends along the way.

Patsy loved to travel with family and friends, and she was able to visit many places around the United States and the world. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever leave the holler where she grew up, let alone see so much of this amazing world. Patsy always said Norway and Alaska were wonderful, and Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia was another favorite. She made many memories on her travels whether with friends or family, and especially memorable was the Kansas Chicken tour!

In death, Patsy is reunited with parents Leonard Whited and Jennie Maddox Whited, sister Peggy Whited Ayers, and son-in-law Randy Stephens.  She is survived by her spouse Henry Kresse, daughter Tanvia Kresse, son Tim Kresse, daughter-in-law Tammy Kahrig, and grandchildren Justin Chambers, Trent Carroll, Hannah Kresse, and Hiley Kresse. She is also survived by her furry child, Austin Powers, whom she and Jay adopted from Recycled Best Friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, the USO, or Recycled Best Friends Dog Rescue on Facebook or 4040 Forest Glen Drive  Knoxville TN 37919.

Visitation will be Saturday, November 9, 2019, at 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Chapel of Province Funeral Home in Pennington Gap, VA. Following will be a graveside service at Lee Memorial Gardens in Woodway, VA

To send condolences online or view obituary, please visit www.provincefuneralhome.com . Province Funeral Home of Pennington Gap, VA is located on 42098 E.Morgan Ave. Pennington Gap, VA 24277.  276-546-2456. Province Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Patsy Kresse.

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