Patsy Clifford

Patsy Alice (Warren) Clifford, age 92, of Fort Worth, passed away Friday morning, August 14, 2026.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in the city of West, Texas with her nephew John Warren officiating. There will be a visitation from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home preceding the service.

Patsy was born October 27, 1933, in Meridian, Texas, to Burney and Mona (Williams) Warren. A proud 1951 graduate of Meridian High School, she continued her education at Texas Wesleyan University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1955. She earned her Master's Degree in Education from Baylor University in 1972.

Patsy began her career as a Physical Education teacher with the Dallas Independent School District, where she taught from 1955 to 1958. She returned to her hometown of Meridian in 1962 and lived there until 1983. During those years, she worked as a lifeguard and swim teacher at the Meridian public swimming pool in the summers. She taught many children from Meridian and Bosque County how to swim. In the Miss Lake Whitney Pageant, she gave an exhibition of diving and ballet swimming and played boogie on the piano as her talent in the competition.

In 1966, while still living in Meridian, Patsy returned to her beloved Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth as an Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education. For many years, she made the daily commute from Meridian to Fort Worth to teach while continuing to raise her family in her hometown. During her nearly 30 years at Texas Wesleyan, she taught tennis, swimming, gymnastics and many other sports and physical activities, along with courses in health science. She enjoyed teaching and especially valued the relationships she developed with her students over the years. She loved telling stories about former students recognizing her years later at the antique mall, at church and around Fort Worth. Patsy retired from Texas Wesleyan in 1995.

On October 25, 1997, Patsy married Martin "Marty" Clifford in Fort Worth. They shared ten wonderful years together before Marty's death on October 22, 2007.

Patsy also loved to travel and enjoyed many trips overseas, but one place was especially dear to her: Palisade Lakes near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, owned by her dear friend Ann Burge. Patsy and Ann met as students at Texas Wesleyan in 1951 and began a friendship that would last 75 years, until Patsy's passing. Over the years, Patsy and her family loved spending time at Palisade Lakes, surrounded by the mountains and beauty of Colorado. It became a very special place to Patsy and her family and the source of many wonderful memories.

Patsy had another lifelong passion: antiques. She loved hunting for something special, learning the history behind a piece and sharing her finds with others. Beginning in 1993, she operated antique booths at the Montgomery Street Antique Mall in Fort Worth, something she continued throughout the remainder of her life. She loved searching for unusual treasures, arranging her displays and visiting with customers and fellow antique enthusiasts. Antiques brought Patsy many years of enjoyment and became an important part of her life. She especially loved being referred to as the Matriarch of the Montgomery Street Antique Mall.

As much as Patsy enjoyed teaching, antiques and traveling, nothing was more important to her than her family and friends. She loved people and treasured the relationships she built throughout her life. Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren brought her great pride and happiness. She loved family gatherings, telling stories, celebrations and simply spending time together. Friendships were equally important to Patsy, and many of those friendships lasted for decades.

Patsy also loved music and especially enjoyed playing the piano. Her Christian faith was an important part of her life. While living in Fort Worth, she was a member of Handley Methodist Church and later Christ Chapel Bible Church, where she also played the piano each week as a prelude to her adult Sunday School class. Her faith remained a source of strength and comfort throughout her life.

Patsy will be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, a loyal friend, a dedicated professor and teacher, and a woman who loved antiques, music, travel and being with the people she cared about. She lived a full and active life, and the many students, friends and family members whose lives she touched will carry her memory with them.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Martin "Marty" Clifford; brothers, William "Bill" Warren and wife Lola, and Burney Warren and wife Joyce; sisters, Jonnie Payne and husband Al, Betty Alexander and husband Buddy; brothers in law, Buddy Brantley and Neal McDowell; and the father of her children, William C. Baird.

Survivors include her beloved children, Nan and Tom Strasburger of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Angie and Byron Whitney of Valley Mills, Texas, and Rick and Luana Baird of Chandler, Arizona; grandchildren, Miles and Dana Whitney, Rachel and Chad LeBeau, Lace and John Stanley, Emily and Matthew Baldenegro, Chloe Baird, Katherine and Xavier Chikwe, Savanah Baird, Sam Strasburger, and Lilly Baird and Travis Casteel; great grandchildren, Cecilia, Vivian, Wyatt, Ty, Henry, Princeton, June, Joseph, Annabelle, Odin, Blair, Austin and Raelynn; her sisters, Peggy Brantley and Linda McDowell; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Texas Wesleyan University. To make donations to TXWES in memory of Patsy, use this link: https://tinyurl.com/3y7zhjy2

Mother would want you to wear bright and cheerful colors to her service because it is a celebration.