Patricia Anne Billings Ingram

This is an obituary for Patricia Anne Billings Ingram. Wherever you are reading it, I want you to read it exactly the way that she lived her life beautifully and out loud. And remember to enunciate.

On a typical Sunday, Pat would wake up, prepare for her day, and leave for Asbury UMC about 6:30 a.m. to help set up for the 8:00 a.m. service. But on this particular Sunday, January 7th, 2024 she left at 6:30 a.m. for church, but for the Church in heaven. Probably standing at the gates waiting to remind Peter that the music should start promptly at 7:50, and the gates should open inwardly.

Pat was a pathologically generous 5 foot woman who was made of 2 gallons of kindness and just a hint of crazy. She met everyone where they were, kept it real, and never let herself get pulled into the drama. She'd wave her hand and say "God's got this, you don't need to add me to the mix." She never apologized for her straightforwardness. She said if she was meant to be controlled she would have come with a remote.

She must've had 25 hours in her day because she made time for everyone. She prayed for everyone. She remembered birthdays, anniversaries, and other special dates. She was a woman of neverending compassion, selfless care and love for others.

She packed a punch with her words and could set you straight and show you how loved you are, all in one sentence. Sometimes she did that with just a look. She had brilliantly simple solutions for complex problems and included considerations for everyone's time and talents in her planning.

She loved her family and friends well, intentionally, and ferociously. She was truly a gift from heaven and will be sorely missed.

She was preceded in death by her mother Jennie A. Pettiford Billings, aunts and uncles Katie, Lydia, Sydney, and Calvin, two brothers John and Dan, and her little dog Anderson.

She is survived by her father, Sgt. 1st Class Theodore R. Billings U.S. Army (ret), her 10 siblings Paulette, Cecelia, Ra Ra, Sheila, Tommy, Ricky, Sabrina, Louis Ray, Wanda, and Karen. Her son, Jarod, his wife, Katie, and her grandchildren Braden, Chase, and Xzavier. And all the people she adopted along the way on her life’s journey.

Patricia planned her own non-traditional memorial to be held 11:00 AM Saturday, January 13, 2024 in the chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907. She doesn't want reserved seating and said, “If they want to sit up front, tell them to get there early.” She often spoke at memorials, consoled grieving families, and cared for those whose time in this world was coming to a close. As her time was approaching she said, “Don't let them make a fuss over me. They need to keep it short, love on everybody, go get something to eat and go home.”

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a cause that is close to your heart or an organization she was involved in such as House of Heroes, 100 Women on the Move, or Asbury UMC. Or you can just tell the person next to you that God loves you and I like your shoes.