Obituary of Patricia McKinley Haldeman Ewell Eyster

The good Lord decided he needed some organizational skills, so he called Patricia home November 3, 2018 at the age of 90. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 6, 1928 to Ensign and Phyllis Haldeman. As their only child, she was cherished and involved in numerous activities. Attending Stetson as a drama major, she transferred to University of Florida graduating in 1950 with a degree in Education with a specialty in reading. She was a member of Gamma Iota of Alpha Chi Omega. She was very involved with the Jacksonville’s Children’s Theater.  She taught school at the Jacksonville Boles School for Boys and with her children and her dying father, moved to Merritt Island in 1965. Patricia returned to UF in 1967 to get her masters. She worked at Brevard Community College setting up their reading program and later was Curriculum Coordinator at Mila Elementary. Then she was appointed as one of the first few females to a Principalship at Audubon Elementary and served from 1969-1979. She was the ‘Principal who wore mini-skirts’ and had the legs to do it! She became Director of Primary Education for Brevard County and implemented the Pre-kindergarten Early Intervention Program. Patricia was very active in many local and national Legislative organizations for Early Education and it was through this activity she was interviewed by ABC’s Barbara Walters. Patricia retired in 1993 and enjoyed following her Gators with her friend Dr. Richard Olmstead. Later she moved to San Rafael, California and married her first love, Dr. David Ewell and spent many cherished years with his family until his death. She returned to Florida in 2006 and spent her time still watching those Gators and attending the theater and the Opera with old education friends. One favorite event was attending the ‘Dancing with the Stars Summer Tour’ and seeing her favorite dancers. She was a member of Florida Delta Gamma Kappa Society. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Dr. David Ewell, her daughter Juliette, her sister-in-law Rosemarie Regero and her cousin Harold Haldeman. She is survived by her daughters Patricia Lynn Tennant (Jack) and Victoria Deem (Bob), her grandchildren Michael (Jen), Verity, Lucas, and Annalee; her great-grands, Celena (Tony), Lilly, Aviana, great granddaughter Elizabeth Jane, nephew Ian Fisher, niece Kayla Fisher, her cousin-in-law Marguerite and the Ewell Family: Teri, Dana, Diane and Nyla Hannum and extended grans and great-grans. The family wants to thank her devoted caregivers, Jenny, Sheryl and Melinda, her god-daughter Jenna Stewart and the staff at Huntington Place. Donations can be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal at #4 Church St., Cocoa, Florida 32922. A memorial service will be held at St. Marks on December 8 at 1 p.m.