Pat White

Its hard to imagine Pat before she was a florist, but she made quite the entrance into this world.  She was born in Aliceville, Alabama at 6 months, and was only 1 pound, 12 ounces. She was not expected to live. She was described by her mother, Lola Bell Lee, as “the most unfinished piece of business she’d ever seen.”  Her grandmother, known by all as, Mrs. Nunny, picked her up, and rolled her back, and forth in a handkerchief until she caught her breath.  Mrs. Nunny fed Pat using an eye dropper, and made an incubator out of a tomato basket. Pat proved her stubbornness and perseverance from the beginning, because against all medical expectations, she survived, and thrived! Her special bond to Mrs. Nunny was ever present, and you may have noticed Mrs. Nunny’s portrait hanging in Pat’s office when you visited her floral shop.

Pat’s love of flowers was second to her love of family. Her husband, and love of her life, Don Lewis, helped her at the floral shop; delivering flowers, and keeping the lawn. She was so proud that his efforts were awarded “Yard of the Month” by the City of Forest Park. Pat also loved her two daughters, Mary Bailey, and Shirley Arvey. They shared many wonderful memories helping their mom in the shop as they were growing up. Of course, everyone knew her greatest pride & joy were her three grandsons, Evan Bailey, Charles Arvey, and James Arvey.  A visit with Pat wasn’t complete until she shared the latest news on her “3 boys”. She was thrilled to do flowers for Jamie and Hannah’s wedding, and wasn’t shy about offering advice to her grandson, “don’t skimp on the ring, son!”; advise she shared with the other 2 grandsons, as well. Although she won’t be able to do the wedding flowers for Evan, and Charles, we know she’ll be watching from Heaven, so we'll make sure they are beautiful!  Her family will remember her as “Mom” and “Nana”. We will think of her each time we hear an Elvis Presley song (she played Elvis Radio at her floral shop every day for 15 years!), visit a botanical garden, and enjoy some popcorn, or lobster (her 2 favorite foods!). And her words of wisdom will forever ring in our ears, “Now Honey, don’t dilly dally, let's get things done!”

We imagine Pat may be shaking things up in Heaven. She has joined her love, Don Lewis, who preceded her in death. We are sure that Pat is trying to get tickets to Elvis Presley’s concert (if he’s not performing, she’ll convince him). And she’s busy planning how she & Don will decorate their corner of Heaven with flowers. And Jesus is laughing, saying, “that’s my girl!”

Pat has been a member of Forest Park community for so many years, it seems everyone has a “Pat story” to tell. The family welcomes all friends to share in a celebration of her life Monday, August 29, 2022 at Thomas L. Scroggs Funeral Directors. Visitation at 1:00 pm followed by a memorial service at 2:00 pm.