Patricia Ann Starr

Patricia Ann (Springfield) Starr peacefully passed away surrounded by her family on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at Whitney Nursing & Rehab. Visitation will be at 1pm on Saturday, February 22nd at Marshall and Marshall Funeral Home in Whitney, Texas followed by a service at 2pm in the chapel. Private burial will follow at Bethlehem Cemetery in Whitney.

Patsy was born to Prowell & Margie Springfield January 3rd, 1943 in Houston, Texas. She was the first of three children. Faced with trauma as a teen, life altered through an accident, Patsy learned to persevere and never give up. She graduated high school in Eagle Pass, Texas, with an associates degree from Southwest Adventist Junior College in Keene, Texas. Her first multi-grade Seventh Day Adventist Church school was in Menard, Texas. While in Menard, she married Nathan Starr in 1966. In 1970, they had their first daughter, Stephanie; in 1972, they adopted their second daughter, Tammi. In 1973, they moved to Santa Anna, Texas where she was a homemaker, childcare provider, and taught piano lessons until their children were away at high school. At that time, she completed her bachelor’s degree in education, graduating from Southwestern Adventist College and returned to teaching in a multi-grade church school. She taught in Seventh-day Adventist multi-grade classrooms in Santa Anna, and Waco, where they had moved in 2000. She was called out of retirement in Waco, to return to teaching at Triangle Adventist Christian School down on the coast in Port Arthur. After this call, she re-retired to volunteer service at New Creation Christian School in Waco. She fully retired in 2017. 

Christian Education was very important to her, and she was a great teacher, touching many lives in a positive manner through the years. She had a soft spot for young people and always welcomed them into their home. She was always active in youth ministries in churches and schools, wherever they lived. As a teen, she had a Girl Scout Brownie Troop. In Santa Anna, she was actively involved in Whirly Birds, Library Programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and any other opportunity she had to work with youth. In Santa Anna and Waco, she was involved in Pathfinders and Adventurer youth groups – helping with earning honors, community service projects, and fund raisers to help fund and chaperone their trips and activities. She was a member of the Waco Seventh Day Adventist Church. 

Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, Prowell Perry Springfield, and Margie Lee Richardson Springfield Young. Also preceding her in death in 2021 was her husband of 55 years, Nathan Earl Starr.

Survivors include her daughters, Tammi Starr Lesczynski (Brian) and grand dog-Maggie; Stephanie Starr Anker (Eric) and grandsons James Cain and Christian Anker. She is also survived by her chosen son Horacio Tavares, Jr. (Flavio), and her chosen daughter, Missy Bachhofer. She is survived by her brother, Tommy Springfield (Lisa) and her sister, Paula Owens. She has several nieces and a nephew, along with their families, who also survive her.

The family wishes to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to the kind, compassionate staff of Whitney Nursing & Rehab, where she resided as well as to the amazing care team from Wings Over Texas Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, we would request that you contribute to the Texas Adventist Education Endowment Fund, in her honor. The purpose of this fund is to provide student aid to those who need help with tuition and is something which was a very purposeful mission of both Nathan and Patsy for many years. 

To Contribute to this fund for student aid, you will text TXEducate to 41444. The reply to this text message will be a link that directs you to the proper page to donate securely. 

Or by check to Texas Conference of SDA, PO Box 800, Alvarado, TX 76009. Specify for Education Endowment, in Honor of Patsy Starr.