Patsy “Pat” Barrera, 81, of Owensboro, KY, reunited with her beloved B.Y. Barrera on the evening of June 12, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones. She was the revered matriarch of her large family: a beloved mother, grandmother, and GiGi to all who met her. Her wit and wicked sense of humour will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.
Pat was born in Owensboro, on September 24, 1944, to her mother Lilian Beatrice Mayes (stepfather Virgil Mayes) and Elmer Craig (stepmother Barbara Craig). She grew up in Daviess County with her brother and four sisters. Pat graduated from Daviess County High School before earning her nursing degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Pat lived life with a servant’s heart, fuelled by her strong Episcopalian faith. She was instrumental in helping the late Dr. Dattatraya Prajapati bring Hospice of Western Kentucky to Owensboro. Pat first learned about hospice care after attending a seminar featuring hospice pioneer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Upon returning to Owensboro, Pat insisted to her colleague and friend, Dr. Prajapati that Owensboro needed a hospice care facility. Dr. Prajapati responded, “Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.” Pat introduced him to her reverend, Rev. Glendon Coppick of Trinity Episcopal Church, and together with other dedicated church members, they helped champion the effort to bring hospice care to Owensboro, laying the groundwork for what would become The Hospice Association in 1980.
She started her nursing career at Mercy Hospital in Owensboro before moving to Florida, where she worked for DeSoto Memorial Hospital as a risk assessor, case manager, and forensic nurse specialist. Pat ended her profound nursing career by retiring from the state of Florida Department of Health as an epidemiologist.
Pat volunteered her free time with a multitude of organizations benefiting youth and families. She volunteered with the Girl Scouts and took a troop with her to tour Europe. She was the first female Cub Scout leader for the Boy Scouts of America in Daviess County. She was the coach of many tee-ball leagues throughout her years. She worked closely with Catholic Charities in assisting migrant families and refugees find healthcare and volunteered with other outreach efforts serving unhoused and migrant families.
Pat will be remembered most for her devotion to her friends and family. She never met a person she wouldn’t help and never had a thought she didn’t speak. Those who knew her would say she embodied a sense of found family; if you found her, she was family. She would say she never met a stray she wouldn’t keep–pet and person alike.
Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Lilian Beatrice Mayes (Virgil Mayes) and Elmer Craig (Barbara Craig); husband, B.Y. Barrera; close friend, Dr. Dattatraya Prajapati; sister, Nancy Clark; and great-grandson, Logan Westerman.
Pat is survived by her children, Randall Wingfield, Steven Wingfield (Carol), Sherry Westerman (Kenny), Robin Bledsoe (Eric), Robert Storm (Brenna), and Andrew “Biscuit” Barrera; sisters, Linda Mattingly (Clarence), Carol Phillips (Mark), and Betty Jo Polston (Keith); brother, James Craig (Rosemary); aunt, Hattie Hurst; close family friend, Rita Prajapati; nine grandchildren; and 13 great -grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and other loving family and friends.
At Pat’s request, there will not be a visitation or funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her honour to Hospice of Western Kentucky, 3419 Wathen’s Crossing, Owensboro, KY 42301 or Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, 2115 Lexington Rd, Louisville, KY 40206.
Care entrusted to Cardinal Cremation Society