It is with profound sadness that our family must announce the passing of our matriarch – wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – Patsy McClung Ingram, after an extended period of declining health.
Pat was the daughter of the late Wayne and Mary Cooper McClung and a lifelong resident of Graham County. Many will remember Pat as working at the Robbinsville branch of Wachovia Bank, but her story is much more inspiring.
She began at Citizen’s Bank in 1967 after both her children had entered school and stayed with the bank when it merged with Wachovia in 1970. In an era when few women progressed into management, through much coursework and training, Pat advanced to Personal Banker, Loan Officer, Assistant Manager and by 1980, Bank Manager – the first woman to hold that position in the company.
She was later named as a Vice-President of the Wachovia Bank Corporation and would have advanced even higher, but opted to stay with the community, family and friends she loved.
Pat was also a dedicated member of the Robbinsville United Methodist Church. She loved cooking and caring for her family, flower gardening and animals. She literally was the person who would stop her car and hold up traffic to help a turtle cross the road.
In addition to her parents, Pat is preceded in death by her adored daughter, Joyce Ingram Perkins.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Edward M. Ingram; son, Michael; son-in-law, Scott Perkins; grandchildren Lucy Perkins Phelps (Luke) and Elle Perkins King (Earl), all of Harmony, N.C. and Luke Andrew Perkins (Leah) of Raleigh.
She has five great-grandchildren: Finley, Evelyn and Navy Phelps, and Huck and Graham King. Also her sister, Jane Dickens (Charles) of Asheville and their daughters Martha and Anne – all of whom will miss Pat very, very much.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Friday, April 23 at Robbinsville United Methodist Church. The Revs. Loy Kennedy and Eric Reece officiated. Burial followed at the Old Mother Cemetery.
The family received friends from 2-3 p.m. Friday at the Church, prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the Joyce Ingram Perkins memorial Scholarship Fund at:
Robbinsville High School
301 Sweetwater Road
Robbinsville, NC 28771.