Patricia (Pat) Nickel, 95 of Houston, Texas,  was born on Friday, July 16, 1920, in Olney Illinois to Dr. Ralph and Nana King. She left this Earth peacefully on Monday, August 3, 2015, in her own bed with her dog Fritz by her side. Pat was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband of 62 years, Howard and a sister, Virginia. She is survived by daughters, Christine Nickel (Sally Ottaway) of Wichita, KS, Pat Brown (Richard), grandson Geoffrey Brown of Kiowa, CO, and dachshund Fritz.

Pat grew up during the Depression and attended Northwestern University on the eve of World War II. She made lifelong friends with her Pi Phi sorority sisters. A biology major, Pat had plans of following her father into medicine. She met her future husband Howard (Howie) on a blind date. He was a Naval ROTC cadet, and geology major. December 7, 1941 changed their lives forever.

Until a move to Houston in 1965, Pat lived a semi-nomadic life between World War II military assignments and being married to a geologist in the oil industry. She adapted cheerfully and resourcefully to each and every move. Little did she know she would spend her last 50 years in the same house, surrounded by a group of best friends and neighbors.

In 1960, Pat and Howie purchased some property in the Colorado mountains and built a small cabin there. This was to be the one place they would always call 'home'. From that point on almost every family vacation was spent in Colorado at the cabin. That is also their final resting place.

In 1968 Pat returned to her medical roots and enrolled in a class to become a cytotechnologist. When she retired, she was Chief of the cytotechnology lab at M.D. Anderson Hospital. She enjoyed her job and she relished the friendships with her co-workers.

When Howie passed away in 2004, Pat was comfortable living in their Houston residence. Her health was good and she had their dachshund Morris to keep her company. She lived in a very supportive neighborhood and her daughters visited her frequently. She enjoyed attending John Knox Presbyterian Church and working at a local food pantry. She had many friends. She only stopped driving 2 years ago when her vision started to fail her.

She lived a long and remarkable life with intelligence and humor ...on her own terms. She loved her family, she loved her friends, she loved her dogs, she was the consummate Snoopy fan, she rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals, and she loved to tell jokes. She was a remarkable person. We thought she'd outlive us all. She would like us to celebrate her life, not mourn her death.

Waltrip Funeral Directors, Houston, TX obituary