Obituary of Yvonne Patterson Shallenberger
Yvonne Patterson Shallenberger (nee Cobb) was born in Eunice, New Mexico in July 1937 to Boots B. Casey and Charles Cobb. She went to join the Lord on October 6th, 2018 after a short illness. Yvonne was raised on a family homestead with her brother, Dwight. In 1956 she married her high school sweetheart, Ronald Lee Patterson. They had three children: Pamela, Teresa and Barry. As Ron made a career with El Paso Natural Gas Company, the family moved to El Paso, Texas. There, the family joined the Southern Baptist Church and Yvonne sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and was a youth leader.
After Ron died in 1986, Yvonne married Dr. Frank Shallenberger Jr. in Tucson, Arizona in 1988. The couple were active members of the Sabino Road Baptist Church, where Yvonne taught Sunday School and sang in the choir. When Frank and Yvonne moved to central Tucson, they joined Northminster Presbyterian Church. They enjoyed many adventures traveling the world and, in a large “bus,” across the United States. They lived at The Fountains at La Cholla for many years, where Yvonne stayed after Frank died in 2010. At The Fountains, Yvonne was known to welcome new neighbors with cakes and flowers and also served on several committees, including co-chairing a long-standing fund-raising committee for several years.
Yvonne lived with Type 1 diabetes from the time she was 17. She possessed a deep and abiding faith in the Lord, an indomitable will and uncommon grace. She not only made friends wherever she went, but created community. She will be sorely missed by her friends, many of whom she was still in contact with since childhood. Yvonne’s devotion to her family permeated every aspect of her life. She went to great lengths to make sure that the love of family was felt by each of its members.
Yvonne is survived by her daughter Pam Patterson (Denise); her daughter Teresa Kenthack (Todd); her son Barry Patterson, and her grandson Christopher Carpenter (Daisy) and granddaughters Sarah and Katelyn.
A celebration of life will be held at the Fountains clubhouse from 2pm to 5pm on October 13, 2018. Graveside services will be held at 2pm on October 27, 2018, in Eunice, New Mexico. There will be a potluck fellowship at the First Baptist Church in Eunice following the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or Wounded Warrior Project
