Priscilla "Pat" Wolfskeil's Obituary
Priscilla “Pat” Wolfskeil, age 92, of Ft. Myers, FL, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, January 20th, 2016 with her daughter Karen by her side. She is survived by her youngest sister, Gloria Cunningham (Sioux City, IA); her daughter, Karen (Brien) Smith (Cape Coral); grandson, Daniel (Krystal) Smith (Ft. Myers); granddaughter, Dana Smith (Seneca, PA); and four great grandchildren, Kaleb, Logan and Colt Heath (Seneca, PA) and Noelle Smith (Ft. Myers).Born in Kansas City, MO on October 02, 1923 to Montgomery P. Balsley and Sarah E. Cowherd, she was an identical twin to her sister, Margaret Jean and sister to her older brother, George, and three younger sisters, Natalie, Naomi and Gloria. As a young child she endured the hardships of the Great Depression. Her high school years were better times. She excelled in her studies, enjoyed tennis and horseback riding, worked after school as a roller skating waitress at a drive-in malt shop at Swope Park. She was known by her friends as energetic, athletic, responsible and intelligent, but also had a good sense of humor and loved to laugh and have fun.In 1942, Priscilla met SSG Robert (Bob) WolfsKeil, on a blind date in Kansas City, MO, and fell in love. They married July 10, 1943, two weeks before Bob shipped out with his unit to North Africa. Priscilla, along with her twin sister, joined the Women’s Air Corps shortly after. She was assigned to Signal Corps Laboratory and stationed at Washington D.C. where she learned to read schematics, repair radios, and operate testing equipment for the first computers being developed by the U.S. Army.After the war they moved to her husband’s hometown of Elizabeth, NJ. In 1952, after the loss of their first child, a daughter Sharon Elizabeth, age 4 months, Priscilla and Bob moved to Fort Myers, FL where they lived for 59 years. In the early years in Ft. Myers she was employed as a bookkeeper for Franklin Hardware and later for the American Variety Store until the birth of her second child, another daughter Karen. She enjoyed several years as a stay at home mom, actively volunteering as a nurse’s aide at Orangewood Elementary School, a Brownie leader, and later with the Ft. Myers Band Boosters. She returned to work in retail as manager of the ladies’ dept. of Woolco in 1974 and then took a job as a bookkeeper for an air conditioning and heating company from which she retired.After retirement, Priscilla and Bob spent 26 wonderful summers in Franklin, NC, where they made many new and lasting friendships. She enjoyed writing articles for the Longview Community which were published in the Franklin Press, volunteered at the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum, became an active member of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, and participated in several church musicals and plays along with her husband.Priscilla loved to be active. She began running in her 50’s and participated in racing until her mid 70’s, winning many awards in her age group. She also loved to dance and learned to clog while living in North Carolina. She also loved storytelling and working in her gardens in Ft. Myers and Franklin. She was also an active member of McGregor Baptist Church for over 35 years, later transferring to Central Baptist Church where she remained active until her health declined.Priscilla was a loving mother and grandmother, and devoted sister. She loved her family and friends, and trusted in Jesus Christ throughout her life as light to her feet and guide for her path.A Memorial Service for Pat will be celebrated at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 6, 2016 in the chapel at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 936-0555. Friends will be received for an hour preceding the service beginning at 1:00 PM. At the conclusion of these ceremonies friends and family will recess to adjacent Memorial Gardens Cemetery where Pat will be laid to rest in the Prayer Garden alongside her loving husband Robert who passed away in 2009.Flowers are appreciated; however donations can be made in lieu of flowers to Hope Hospice, Attn: Donations, 9470 Healthpark Circle, Ft. Myers, FL 33908. Donations can also be made online: donate.hopehcs.org or by calling 239-985-7730 for questions regarding donations.To share a story, leave a tribute or offer condolences, please visit Pat’s memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com and sign her guestbook.
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