Patricia Terwilliger, Atlanta political donor and philanthropist, dies at 83

Patricia Terwilliger was a philanthropist and a major donor to Republican causes, but the greatest gift she gave others was her personal generosity of spirit, her daughter Bonnie Terwilliger Meshad said.

“What’s amazing is she taught us what was important in life,” Meshad said. “Being there is what’s most important. All the memories you make are just by being present. It doesn’t have to be spectacular. Just show up.”

Terwilliger, who lived in Sandy Springs, died Sept. 24 from brain injuries sustained in a fall, Meshad said. She was 83.

A celebration of her life will be 2 p.m. Monday at Peachtree Church.

Terwilliger was a devoted philanthropist. Through the Patricia Bowman Terwilliger Family Foundation, she supported children’s health and medical research, housing initiatives and programs serving veterans.

Some of that philanthropy grew directly from her family’s own experiences. Meshad’s now-adult son was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 1, and by the time he was 10, the family was traveling to Boston for his medical care. The foundation later funded the Patricia B. Terwilliger Family Chair in Epilepsy Research at Boston Children’s Hospital to help ensure continued research into the disorder, Meshad said.

Terwilliger also supported Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and many other organizations.

Veterans were another cause especially important to her. Since the pandemic, the foundation has sponsored the construction of two Habitat for Humanity homes for veterans, Meshad said. Terwilliger also worked with Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital on a program addressing post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans.

“She always felt like we needed to treat our veterans better than we do,” Meshad said.

Terwilliger was a 30-year member of the Sandy Springs Society, supporting the nonprofit’s philanthropic work in the community.

“She was a very lovely and generous person with a real heart for the community,” said Valerie Love, a former president of the nonprofit. “She meant a lot to so many people.”

Meshad said her mother frequently recited the biblical saying, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said he believed philanthropy was in Terwilliger’s DNA.

“She was just an amazing woman,” he said. “She realized that she had led a very fortunate life, and I guess she felt that she had to pay back for the blessings that she had in her life by helping others.”

Terwilliger was a longtime major Republican donor in Georgia and enjoyed hearing opposing points of view, her daughter said.

“She believed everyone should be involved in our government,” Meshad said.

Patricia Bowman was born in Washington D.C. in 1943 and raised in Arlington, Virginia. She attended the University of Georgia, where she studied art.

While in college, she met Ron Terwilliger, who was attending Navy supply school, Meshad said. They married when Patricia was 22.

The couple lived in Boston, where Ron Terwilliger earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, and later in Dallas and Sea Pines, South Carolina, before moving to Atlanta around 1980, Meshad said. The couple divorced in the early 2000s after 37 years of marriage.

Both Patricia and Ron Terwilliger were philanthropically minded and instilled a commitment to giving in their daughters, Meshad said.

Patricia was a gifted photographer, her daughter said, and published three books of photography.

Travel was another lifelong passion. The family often went to France and Italy over the years. This past summer, Terwilliger toured the Burgundy Canal in France, Meshad said.

“She was like sunlight,” her daughter said. “She was so bright all the time.”

Terwilliger is survived by her daughters, Bonnie Terwilliger Meshad (Matthew) and Tracy Terwilliger Driggers (Clarkson); her sister, Vicky Easton (Randall); grandchildren Griffin Leadbetter, Ava Leadbetter, Avery Dean and Savannah Dean; and bonus grandchildren Winston Meshad, Will Meshad, Ann Radford Meshad, Mac Driggers and Bailey Burnett.