Obituary
Patricia Ann (Burks) Hyre
(December 31, 1931 - May 2, 2019)
Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother,
Patricia Burks Hyre, passed away at home on May 2, 2019,
following a long illness. Born on December 31, 1931, she was the daughter of
Letha Mills Burks Davis and Clifford Oakley Burks, both of whom pre-deceased
her, her father when she was only four. Her younger brother, Clifford Oakley
Burks, Junior, also pre-deceased her. She was the recent widow of Dr. G.
Richard Hyre, to whom she was married for fifty-four years. Survivors
include her only child, Rebecca Fletcher McNeer (Gregory), and her two
grandsons, on whom she doted: Timothy Richard Kinsey, Junior (Mary Lynn) and
Andrew Fletcher Kinsey (Kelly), as well as four great grandchildren:
Isabella Rabun Kinsey, Abigail Elizabeth Kinsey, Ella Burks Kinsey, and
Fletcher Morris Kinsey. Mrs. Hyre attended Huntington schools and Marshall
University. Early in her work life she was a travel agent, leading tours to
Europe and once, by official request in a disputed custody case, she was a
part of the rescue of a child from East to West Germany. She was also a
qualified dental assistant and worked for many years in her husband’s dental
office. Later, she was a part-time employee of the Internal Revenue Service
during tax seasons, where she began to develop a keen financial expertise.
She played golf for a number of years in the women’s nine-hole group at
Guyan and Golf Country Club and enjoyed friendships made amongst her
decades-long bridge group. Painting, ceramics, cooking, crewel embroidery,
even decoupage were crafts she mastered and shared. She remained curious and
eager to learn new things. To her small family, she was ever unselfish,
encouraging, and wise, and we are grateful for her abiding interest,
guidance, and presence in our lives. We loved her dearly. Funeral services
will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at
11:00, with visitation one hour before the service in the church parlor on
the second floor of the parish house. The Reverend James H. Morgan will
officiate. Committal in the garden immediately following the service. The
family is grateful to the Reverend William DeMoss of Crossroads United
Methodist Church who remained a faithful friend and pastor to both Dr. and
Mrs. Hyre. We are also deeply indebted to Dr. Matthew Harris and his
wonderful office staff and to Dr. Panos Ignatiadus for the care they
faithfully rendered to Mrs. Hyre for decades. The loving, knowledgeable, and
compassionate care of their dear caregivers was truly a blessing.
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