Pat Owens always valued schooling and books, and her East Atlanta neighborhood is the beneficiary of her lifelong interest.
For years Mrs. Owens was the treasurer of the Friends of the East Atlanta Branch Library. At a time when the branch, located as it was in DeKalb County, was neglected after the merger of the Fulton County and Atlanta library systems, she helped to keep the branch alive, said Henry Bryant of Atlanta, a community activist.
"Now our library is located in a new building, finished in 2002, thanks in part to Pat's efforts," he said. "She was a gentle soul, but I had a sense there was steel beneath that mild exterior on matters that counted with her."
"Pat was our cashier and bookkeeper for our annual book sale that we would sponsor each September at the East Atlanta Village Strut, a community street fair," Mr. Bryant said. "I recall we raised $600 for library projects the first year -- not bad considering we were selling books for 50 cents apiece. Pat took the proceeds home and stuffed them in a coffee can she hid in her kitchen cupboard for safekeeping until we deposited them in a neighborhood credit union, which she served as a board member."
Mrs. Owens also wrote occasional articles plugging the library branch and a neighborhood school, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, in the Porch Press, a monthly community newspaper.
"Pat worked hard on behalf of our school after she became PTA president and stayed at the job even after her daughter moved on to high school," said Dr. Barbara Robinson of Atlanta, Thurgood Marshall's former principal. "This was a job she did almost single-handedly since there wasn't a lot of parent participation at the time."
"When Pat took the post, ours was a new school trying to get organized," Dr. Robinson said. "When she left, we were recognized as a Georgia School of Excellence. Pat had a lot to do with that, setting up honors programs for students, recognizing teachers for their hard work and raising money for needy students so they could take part in activities like field trips."
Patsy Smith Owens, 66, of Decatur, died Monday at DeKalb Medical Center of heart failure. Her funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Salem Missionary Baptist Church, Lilburn, with interment to follow Monday at Alta Vista Cemetery, Gainesville. Donald Trimble Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
A longtime friend from the same Philadelphia high school, Margaret Reed of New Castle, Del., remembered Mrs. Owens as a positive influence who was serious about schoolwork. "Patsy won honors at school and was editor of the school newspaper. Her work ethic rubbed off on me. After graduation, we both decided to work for the Postal Service," she said.
In 1972, Mrs. Owens moved to Atlanta but continued her postal career.
"Pat never stayed long in one job," said a co-worker, Pat Kingston of Atlanta. "She was ambitious and learned to do everything around the post office."
Mrs. Owens was also a postal union steward, and in that capacity she worked to solve disagreements that arose between postal workers and management, Ms. Kingston said.
In her leisure time, Mrs. Owens loved to read and took courses in literature at DeKalb College, now known as Georgia Perimeter College. She found special enjoyment in writing poems that touched on her life experiences, said her daughter Karen Haynes of Lawrenceville, samples of which will be published soon in the Porch Press.
Additional survivors include another daughter, Heather Owens of Decatur; a son, Dennis Owens of Buffalo, N.Y.; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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