Pat was born on 17 March 1929 in Detroit, Michigan, to Marion and Opal Fortner, and passed on to eternal life on 25 October 2026.

Shortly after coming into this world the Great Depression hit, and the family moved back to the Alexander homestead north of Springfield. Pat graduated from Fair Grove High School in 1946 and Southwest Missouri State College in 1950. After a year working for Westinghouse Electric as a home economist, she began her long and distinguished career as an educator, starting in Neodesha, Kansas and then becoming a physical education teacher in the Springfield Public School system. In 1966 she became a guidance counselor at Parkview High School and served in that position until 1976 when she made the move to Graff Area Vocational Technical Center. Under the leadership of Norman Myers, Pat became the director of adult education and then during the transition from Graff (Vo-Tech) to Ozarks Technical College (OTC) following the vote of thirteen counties in southwest Missouri to establish the Junior College District of Springfield. During her career Pat was a member of the Nation Education Association, Missouri State Teachers Association, American Technical Education Association, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

In 1955, Pat married Uel Sims and this enduring union lasted until Uel’s passing in 2006 and produced one son – Mark Sims. Pat was a tireless servant, assisting neighbors and friends with lovingly prepared meals and countless hours of community service to help the less fortunate. Her selfless generosity benefited many and was done almost entirely anonymously.

Pat was a Christian with a quiet faith deeply instilled by her mother and nurtured though the lessons of loving God and loving others as oneself. She was a member of Seminole Baptist.

Pat is preceded in death by her husband Uel E. Sims, her parents Marion and Opal Fortner, her brother and sister-in-law Dan and Lovena Fortner, and nephews Michael Fortner and Anthony Fortner. She is survived by her son J Mark Sims, Jim Sims (nephew), Chris (nephew) and Shaveen Fortner, Danna (niece) and Tim Grear, Diana Fortner (niece), Nathan (nephew) and Rachel Fortner and family, and Zachary (nephew) and Jenn Fortner and family, as well and many dear friends and colleagues.

Thanks to Seasons Hospice who provided comfort in her final days and a special thank you to the staff of Springhouse Village Memory Care – your loving care and kindness for my mom will be forever treasured.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at Greenlawn North at 11am on 21 November 2026, with a visitation at 10. Internment has already taken place.