November 14, 1924 - April 6, 2024
Patsy Nobuko Wigglesworth passed peacefully on April 6, 2024. She lived a mostly wonderful 99 years of life. Patsy was born on November 14, 1924 in Sendai, Japan. Her father was a Christian minister; among the first native Japanese Christian ministers in the country. He and his wife raised two sons and two daughters. Patsy was the last living sibling.
After WWII, Patsy's excellent English language skills allowed her to work for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) as a translator and teletype operator. (For Star Trek fans, think a combination of Hoshi and Uhura.) In this capacity, Patsy was very proud to have worked directly for Major General William H. Maglin. It was with the CID that she met her future husband, Harry, who was an M.P. stationed at the U.S. Army base in Sendai, Japan. Patsy and Harry married in August 1954 and gave birth to son, Bill in July of 1955. Soon after, they were transferred to Fort Collins, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1957, Patsy gave birth to son, Jim in March.
When Harry retired after 20 years with the U.S. Army, the family was living in Covington, Kentucky, Harry's childhood hometown. Together, Patsy and Harry raised both boys through Holmes High School and college at Eastern Kentucky University. Bill went on to earn his graduate degree at Purdue University and Jim completed his graduate work at Penn State University. Patsy was so proud of her sons and was often "guilty" of boasting a bit too much at times.
Patsy was a well-known local personality in Latonia, Kentucky where she was active with the boys' school activities and involvement with her church, St. Mark's UCC. When Harry passed in 1994, Patsy continued to live in the house that she had known as home for several decades. As she approached her late 80's, Bill and Jim were able to convince her that it was time to sell her house and move south to Houston, Texas. Patsy moved into an independent senior facility, a few minutes away from Bill and his wife Cindy, where she made new friends and lived on her own for nearly 4 years. More recently, she moved into a memory care center after being diagnosed with dementia.
Those who knew Patsy will always remember her kindness, warmth, and sense of humor. She was an incredibly generous person who always made sure that she remembered birthdays and other special events for all her family and friends. She particularly loved to give gifts to children. While only 4 ft/11 in tall, and almost never over 100 lbs., Patsy was an incredibly strong individual. She had to be, to marry a U.S. Army soldier, leave her native Japan, and move to Kentucky less than 10 years after WWII. While some were still harboring prejudice towards Japanese, Patsy eventually won them over with her kind spirit. The combination of her heavily Japanese-accented English and lively sense of humor often yielded hilarious outcomes.
Patsy was proceeded in death by her husband, Harry, and her younger son, Jim. Jim's wife, Teri, lives in Lexington, SC, Jim's home for the last several decades of his life. Patsy is survived by her son, Bill and his wife, Cindy, who live in Houston, Texas; Patsy's grand-daughter, Jamie and her husband, Eric, and their children, Ayden and Ella, in Austin, TX, grandson, Logan in Houston, TX, and grand-daughter, Jessica and her husband Jay, and their sons Jordan and Robin, in Boston, MA. Patsy is also survived by Harry's niece, Candy Hurley and her husband, Ted who were both so kind to Patsy during her years in Kentucky. In Japan, she is survived by her sister's daughter, Yasuko, and her brother's son, Hiroshi, and daughter, Keiko. Yasuko's daughter, Naoko, had made several trips to the U.S. to visit Mom and her family over the years.
Patsy will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Harry, at Floral Hills Cemetery in Taylor Mill, KY. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that donations be made by check to:
YMCA Camp Ernst
7615 Camp Ernst Road
Burlington, KY 41005
Attention: Latonia Camper Scholarship Fund
Or online at:
https://www.classy.org/campaign/camp-ernst-camper-scholarships/c533930
Visitation will take place on Friday, April 26, 2024 from 9:30 AM until the Funeral Service at 11:00 AM at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, 11 East Southern Avenue, Covington (Latonia), KY 41015. Interment: Floral Hills Memorial Gardens, Taylor Mill, KY. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Covington (Latonia), KY 41015 is serving the family. Online condolences may be expressed on Facebook or at www.connleybrothersfuneralhome.com