Patricia Conkling

Patricia Haney Conkling of Fort Collins, Co. died at home peacefully in her sleep with her family at her side and the support of Pathways-Hospice. Pat was born Jan. 12, 1926 in Ada, Ok. to Carrie Brydia Haney and N B Haney. As a child Pat loved the outdoors, swimming, canoeing and riding horses. She spent many happy summers at Camp Deerwood in North Carolina starting lifelong friendships. She attended Hockaday Boarding School in Dallas, Tx where she graduated from high school. In 1944 she enrolled at The University of Oklahoma and joined the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. While there she met Charles Joseph "Joe" Conkling. They were married August 8, 1945 in Ada, Ok. Pat and Joe set up home in Midland, Tx. where they raised their family. In Midland Pat trained and worked as a cytotechnologist with Dr. Martha Madsen. Later while living in Oklahoma City Pat became the Cytogenetic Technologist for University of Oklahoma Health and Sciences Center. She and Joe divorced after 30 years of marriage but still remained friends. Pat was briefly married to David Draper. Pat lived in Los Angeles where she worked at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Cytogenetics. In 1976 she achieved the accreditation of Scientist in Cytogenetics for her work with cloning tumor cells and treating them with anti-cancer drugs. Pat was very artistic and enjoyed working with pottery, stained glass and basket weaving. She was an excellent cook always eager to try something new. She enjoyed spending time with her seven grandchildren as well as reading about history and traveling. She loved nature and loved life, with a smile always present on her face. Family and friends will miss her positive and happy enthusiasm and remember she was so generous with her love and joy. Pat was preceded in death by two sons Cliff and Carl as well as two brothers and a sister. She is survived by her sister Tish Haney Armstrong(Jim); her three children, Stephen Russell Conkling, Elizabeth(Conkling)Peters and Lindley(Conkling)Terry(Mike);her seven grandchildren Cristen, Amanda, Erin, Sarah, Wade(Tobey),Travis and Spencer; and many nieces and nephews. She wants us to remember... "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day".