Patricia Ann Markas

Patricia Ann Markas died Thursday evening, December 21, 2023 after a wonderful life. Cherished for her keen intellect and love of communication this assured director and leader of numerous organizations helped to shape the policies and practices of The Girl Scouts of North Carolina along with the North Carolina Cooperative(s).

In a generation where women made many difficult decisions about professional and personal life styles, Patricia made them with enormous dignity. “She loved” friends, family, neighbors, church communities, US legal and lobbying process and golfing with friends worldwide with the founding members’ of the LPGA.

Patricia Markas was born on May 11, 1931, in Morganton, NC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Master of Science Degree in Personnel Administration in 1961. The leadership and associations made throughout her life time were timeless and long lasting. Over the course of her stellar career, she worked as a psychologist at the State Hospital in Butner, NC; numerous Executive Director positions with the Girl Scout council. She continued her executive career over decades with the North Caroline association of Electric Cooperatives representing state and nationally 28 electrical cooperatives located throughout North Carolina.

She was an advocate for the youth by serving as a Member of the Governor’s Advisory Board to the White House Conference on Children and Youth. Additionally, her community leadership had her serving on the Board of Trustees, for the University of North Carolina, Board of Directors for Epworth Methodist Church, Staff-Parish Committee, Benson Memorial Methodist Church, founding member of the Duke women’s golf association and then evolving to Senior Women’s Golf Association, along with being American Society of Association of Executive.

Patricia is survived by her brother, John M. Markas, Jr. (Brenda), nephews John M. Markas, III (Linda), and Lantz C. Tolson (Jenna).

A brief visitation with family and a Christian liturgy will be held at 111 Dilling Street, Kings Mountain, NC on December 29, 2023 at 10:00 AM. Visitation with family members will begin at 9:30 AM and the liturgy at 10:00 AM. Instead of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made anonymously to the charity of one’s choice or to The Girl Scouts of NC or to Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (Duke/UNC ADRC).

Those who knew Patricia well cherished her sense of honor, responsibility and candor. She held herself to the highest standards of character and fostered these standards in others. Although she lived a life of deep influence in her journey, she was to the end positively a cherished and loved gift in this world.