Patricia Galbreaith

Patricia Galbreaith, age 80, born Oct. 14, 1938, was the daughter of the late Donald Diamond and Faye Plumlee Diamond. She passed away April 9, 2019, after several months of health complications.
Patricia met and fell in love with Kenneth Norman Galbreaith, a rockabilly bass player who she could not take her eyes off of for the next 44 years. They married Jan. 21, 1960, raising five kids in Weatherford, Tx. Throughout their lives, the Galbreaith house was home to countless neighborhood kids, and any child or friend who needed a safe haven and home cooked meal.
At age 18, Patricia, along with her sister Janette, was involved in an automobile accident, suffering a severe spinal cord injury. She spent several years in rehab, and the rest of her life in a wheelchair. She was most certainly not disabled, a word her family was taught not to use.
From the beginning, her mindset was to be independent, and with the support of Ken and her extended family, she never looked back. At the beginning of their marriage, she ran an answering service from home for local doctors. While continuing that for years, she began taking notes and writing down helpful ways for people in wheelchairs to lead productive lives. Within a few short years, she had a successful newspaper column in several local papers, titled “Hints For The Handicapped”. For the next 15 years, they loaded up their kids in the Blue Ford LTD, and traveled the United States selling her column. During these years, she enjoyed great success, and was interviewed by countless magazines, T.V. and radio shows. In 1976, she was selected to be on the Board of Science and Technology, Washington D.C., serving until 1978. She wrote several books and cook books, all geared toward giving people the knowledge that they too could have independent, successful lives, regardless of their limitations. During this time, she dispatched for Plumlee Ambulance Service, and for the last 18 years, was office manager for Weatherford Security Services. She never stopped working.
Patricia’s true legacy was her family. “Mudd”. Mudd was short for “Dear Mudder”, so called by her son David, as a child. She was known as Dear Mudd, and later Mudd, for the rest of her life, to all grandkids, kid friends, sons-in-law, nieces and nephews, and a few nurses.. Mudd loved kids, loved shaping their minds and grilling them on presidents and states, loved cooking them food. She loved parties and large gatherings. She loved designing and carving out giant castle cakes for the grandkids. She passed down a love of playing chess throughout the family. (No, she never lost). She loved music, especially 50’s rock and roll, and whatever Ken played on his bass. She loved giving anyone in her life special nicknames. She loved planning extravagant treasure hunts for birthday parties. She loved planning out her kids vacations, or planning out your life in general, and then hearing all about it, and then telling anyone who she visited with. She loved a festive get together, packed with family and friends. She lived vicariously through her family, and truly enjoyed that.
She raised five kids while in a wheelchair, which took a certain strength and perseverance that few could imagine or duplicate. Before her car wreck ,she loved dancing, ice skating, anything active. Afterwards, she chose to move on through life, as best she could….which included bowling with family for her 79th birthday. She set a lifelong example, for anyone looking for motivation.
Patricia is survived by her daughters, Lisa Louviere, Donicia Galbreaith, Jennifer Shaw and Kaki Galbreaith. Siblings Sylvia Diamond, Jannette Earley, Janice Diamond, Don Diamond and Dianna Kirkley. Grandchildren Kendall, Andrew, Mary, Thomas, Amelia, James and Ava. Great-grandchildren, Clara, Wesley, Peyton, Bailey and Wyatt and brother-in-law Tim Galbreaith. She will be missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Faye; her husband, Kenneth, and her son, David.
A Celebration Of Life Service is planned at Galbreaith-Pickard Funeral Home, May 18, 2019, at 11:00.
Following at Spring Creek Baptist Church Family Life Center, 12:30, will be a lunch for family and friends, a festive get together with music and memories.