Patsy Handley Gibbs

Patsy Sue Handley Gibbs departed this life on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 82 years, 7 months, and 18 days. She was born June 9th, 1943 to Arthur and Emma Hartley Handley. She was the 11th of 12 children and the first girl after 7 straight boy babies so was a bright light from the moment she was born.

She was an early talker as a toddler and as she often said “talking is one my best things”. She never met a stranger throughout her life and could carry on a conversation with anyone. She loved for visitors to stop by for a chat or a phone call. She would eventually see a text message and respond but preferred a verbal conversation. She loved looking at photos on Facebook to keep up with what was going on with people she knew.

As a young schoolgirl at Eureka elementary she was a model student and often a teacher’s pet. She liked learning from her teachers at school and cheerleading for the basketball team. She loved attending all Hardin County basketball and football games that she could and her “Go Tigers” yell was the loudest in the gym. When she couldn’t go to the games she would listen to the radio broadcasts. She also watched college and pro basketball and football on tv. She usually chose the team she was pulling for according to how close they were to Savannah or even Tennessee both of which she loved.

She grew up as a “big sister” to her nephews and nieces that came along as well as her next-door neighbor Linda. She was always a caretaker. Helping those in need and looking for someone to do a good deed for. Nothing gave her more pleasure than helping someone and spreading kindness and love.

Patsy was part of the graduating class of 1961 at Central High School. She loved her classmates and was always looking forward to reunions and catching up with her friends. In high school she was on the yearbook staff and liked journalism. A hobby and skill she honed and excelled at. She often wrote stories or poems and for the past several years started the Eureka Community News for the Savannah Courier newspaper. If you ever called Patsy on Sunday night and asked “what are you doing?” you would always get the same answer “writing my column”. She loved getting feedback especially when a person she didn’t know recognized her and complimented her on her contribution. Each week she would anxiously await the Courier’s arrival and she would read each and every line from front to back.

On June 24, 1961 she married her high school sweetheart, Kenny Gibbs. They had 3 children: Jeffrey Kenneth, Gaye Denise, & Kenna Susan. Patsy was always involved in school activities and spent decades in leading cub scout or girl scout troops for her children and grandchildren. She was also a working mother having jobs at Sears before becoming owner/operator of Austin’s Grocery on Florence Road in the Eureka Community, clerking at Wal-Mart, substitute teaching, and serving as the activity director at Hardin Home nursing home.

Her family was her life and she was the best mother a child could have. She enjoyed being a grandmother and seeing her grandchildren having children of their own brought her joy. She loved children and her house was always a house full of joy, fun, and food. Easter would bring egg hunts, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and get-togethers were hosted by Patsy and the more that were there the happier it made her. She liked playing, reading, and entertaining the little ones and was known by many in the community as “Aunt Patsy” as she was loved by everyone she met.

Patsy was an active community volunteer, working at food banks and supporting Friends of the Library events. She championed veteran recognition and religious programs, and showed her patriotism by flying the American flag in her yard. She loved the parades and events that went on in her hometown.

The Eureka community was always special to her, especially Eureka Methodist Church. She was a pillar of the church and an active member from an early age until her death. She served various roles in the church in board type positions, Sunday school teacher, youth leader, song leader and when in a bind for a piano player could peck out “Rock of Ages” shaking her head with each missed note. If Patsy ever missed a Sunday at church she had to be badly sick as she always loved her church family and they loved her back. She would pick up older folks for Sunday worship and always recruited and transported a car-load of youngsters for Bible School or youth church activities. She would faithfully read and study her Sunday School lesson and Upper Room magazine. She was a gifted storyteller and teacher. She was proud of her faith and her church but she respected all religions and denominations and everyone. She knew the Bible inside and out but was always curious to learn from others and share her perspective.

From an early age, Patsy was a fan of movies walking a couple of miles each Saturday with her youngest brother, Tommy, to catch a Roy Rogers movie at the Savannah Theater. Her favorite TV channel was AMC where she would watch the old classic movies some which she had seen multiple times. She especially liked musicals and musical theater. She was an advocate for local productions supporting her daughter, grandchildren, and her friends whenever a play was being performed. She even took a role herself as a madam in the local production of Les Miserables just a few months after recovering from a serious illness and many times had acting parts in the church Christmas program even as a super senior. She also watched the Wheel-of-Fortune show each night and liked games in general especially Rook and Scrabble.

She also liked to travel and was always game for a trip. As a family she would put a fruit jar under the bathroom cabinet as a “vacation fund” to drop coins or dollars to go towards a trip “out of town” each summer. Later in life, her travels included trips to England, Japan, Canada, Hawaii, New York and Arizona to visit relatives and sight-see as well as a few cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, and France. She enjoyed the day trips or longer bus trips that were locally organized and always excited to see new places and meet new people. One of her favorite places was the beach going with family or her travel buddies: Connie Bain & Betty DeBerry.

Patsy had many ailments, some visibly recognizable and others only she knew about, but you would never know it from her disposition and her love of life. In 1985, Patsy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and while over time this slowed her mobility it did not slow down the impact she had on her family, her church, and her community. She would proudly say at one time she stood 5’2”. In later life it was a stretch to be more than 4’6” with her back badly bent and arthritis in most of her joints. Despite a decline in speed and strength, she remained active and rarely complained, always pushing herself. She never gave up and had an incredible pain tolerance living with back fractures and issues that most could not endure.

Those left to cherish her memories are her son, Jeffrey Gibbs and his partner Shawn Davidson, her daughter Gaye Gibbs, and daughter Kenna Gibbs Stanfill and her husband Tim. She has 6 grandchildren: Emily Burns and her husband Chris, Anna Nicholson and her husband Chandler, Timmy Stanfill and his wife Amanda, Kenlee Parrish and her husband Alex, and Kimberin Pyron and her husband Hunter, and Tyler Stanfill. She also leaves 8 great-grandchildren: Mila and Hanna Burns, Evaleigh Nicholson, Addy and Owen and Mason Stanfill, Rhett and Sawyer Parrish.

In addition she leaves: special Gibbs sisters-in-laws: Martha, Lois, Patsy, Becky, Diana, and Kay and many Gibbs’ nieces, nephews & cousins. Lifelong sister-friends: Linda Harmon & Brenda McNeil. Special nieces and nephews: Sandra & Jon Dowling, Bob Handley, Debbie Duncan, Pam Carothers, Patti Marshock, Jill Rose, Carla Handley, Steve Landry, Cheryl Aue, Cris Boswell, Judy Schlegal, Gail Whitford, Ian Handley, Kevin Handley and her faithful friend Sarah Robinson along with many other friends from her church and community family.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Arthur and Emma Handley and all of her siblings. Brothers: Marvin, AJ, Dan, Rex, Billy, Bobby, Frank, Ted, and Tommy. Sisters: Berneice Greene & Thelma Boswell and by the father of her children: Kenny Gibbs.

Her life was lived to the fullest, her footprint the largest and deepest and her memory one that inspires us all to be the best we can be. Her light was dimmed but she still shines brightly in those she touched.

Visitation will be held at Shackleford Funeral Home - Savannah on Sunday, February 1, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m with the funeral service starting at 2:00. Burial will be at Savannah Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Eureka Methodist Church, St. Jude, or the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.