Obituary for Patricia Carmack

Patricia Carmack

November 14, 1946 – October 23, 2022

Memorial service for Patricia Verne (Norris) Carmack, age 75, will be held at the Community Christian Church, 2109 W. Grand Ave, Ponca City, OK, 74601 at 1:00 PM on Friday, October 28, 2022, under the direction of Trout Funeral Home and Crematory, 505 W. Grand Ave, Ponca City, OK 74601. Patti will be laid to rest at a later date.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Community Christian Church Perpetual Fund, 2109 W Grand Ave, Ponca City, OK 74601, Northern Oklahoma Humane Society, 900 W Prospect Ave, Ponca City, OK 74601, or to the charity of your choice.

She is survived by: her husband, C. Reid Carmack of the home; a daughter, Susie Beth Manning of Ponca City; son, Kevin Reid Carmack of Tulsa; son-in-law, Christopher Manning of Ponca City; granddaughter, Rose Mae Ware of Ponca City, and a step-granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Ware of Andover, KS.

She was employed with the Ponca City News as a journalism intern in 1967, beginning permanent employment as a reporter in June of 1968, following her graduation from Oklahoma State University. At OSU she earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism with minors in political science, psychology and sociology. At OSU she was a reporter for the campus newspaper, The Daily O’Collegian, did Op-Ed work for the Stillwater NewsPress, and worked at the local theaters in Stillwater. Before entering college studies at OSU she took courses from the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska, and began her newspaper career working as a cub reporter for a weekly newspaper, The Hardin Tribune-Herald in Hardin, Montana, center of the Crow Indian Agency. At this time she reported on and took photographs of the visit of Lady Bird Johnson to the agency.

In late 1968 she became Society Editor for The News, retiring in 1973. She accepted the job of Lifestyles Editor at The News in November of 1996.

Born November 14, 1946, in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, she was the only child of LaVerne Lemke Norris and John Patrick Henry Norris. She resided with her parents in nine states and numerous towns, attending 26 different schools, due to her father’s employment as an oil driller with the Geophysics department of Continental Oil Company. She graduated from high school in 1964 from Plentywood High School in Montana near the Canadian border of Saskatchewan.

She was named BPW District Young Career Woman in 1970, and served as president for the Ponca City Business and Professional Woman’s Club, and earned the honor of being named that club’s Woman of the Year. She attended an international BPW convention in Hawaii as a delegate that same year. She served as sponsor for 101 Ranch Rodeo Queens and participated in various civic group activities.

Patti married Curtis Reid Carmack on June 10, 1972, in the First Presbyterian Church. Among her greatest joys were her granddaughter, husband, children and her dogs and cats. She enjoyed playing bridge, reading, needlepoint, genealogy and playing video games, much to the amusement of her family.

She was devoted to her family and their activities. In earlier years she was a homeroom mother, Camp Fire leader, taught journalism, was a member of various parent associations, including band and Boy Scouts, a member of the Gladiolus Garden Club, Veteran of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, and Ponca City Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Source: Trout Funeral Home