From the Virginian Pilot

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Patricia Ruth Parker-Williams passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes Feb. 21, 2008. Patricia was born June 17, 1983, in Fort Lewis, Wash., to Major Joseph W. Parker, U.S. Army retired and Patricia Ann Parker. She lived the life of an Army family - travelling the world and having a full and exciting childhood. A scholar and athlete, she was a graduate of St. Mary's-Ryken High School in Maryland and the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York. After graduating from Pratt with honors, she moved to Virginia Beach where she was an architect intern with Hanbury, Evans, Wright, Vlattas and Company Architecture. She had been married for one year to Sgt. Christopher Brian Williams (U.S. Marine Corps) of Virginia Beach, currently assigned to the 2d Intelligence Battalion, Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Patricia was a loving, cheerful person whose enthusiasm for the positive side of life affected all around her. She was especially fond of children, who were naturally drawn to Patricia's vibrant personality and natural physical beauty. Patricia often volunteered to teach underprivileged children to read. At work she was an innovative, gifted architect and made contributions well in excess and expectations of newly-graduated architects. She was a natural, positive leader at her company and with their clients. She deeply loved her husband, and was planning a formal wedding for all their family and friends in May after Chris's return from Iraq. She loved cooking and cross stitching, and used her talents in those hobbies to make small gifts for her friends and coworkers to occasionally remind them that a token of care can make short work of life's drudgery. Patricia had only two facial expressions in her repertoire: a smile and look of deep thought. Both were amazingly infectious. Patricia was also extremely proud of her families' heritage and the career military service of her father, grandfather, husband and father-in-law in the defense of our country. Her father is chairman of the Board, CD3I International and her mother is a retired school teacher for the Clover Park School district in Lakewood, Wash. Besides her parents, Patricia is survived by her older sister, Laura Michele Parker, a financial aid officer for ITT in Boise, Idaho; her parents-in-law, Senior Chief Petty Officer Henry Williams Jr. U.S. Navy retired, an EMT for the city of Virginia Beach; and Arthier Gail Williams, a teacher's aide at Princess Anne Elementary School in Virginia Beach; two grandmothers, eight aunts and uncles, and a very large and grieved contingent of cousins, friends, coworkers and clients world-wide. A memorial celebration for Patricia will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Smith and Williams Funeral Home, 4889 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach. The funeral for the family will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the main chapel of the New Tacoma Cemetery, Chambers Creek Road, University Place, Washington.