Patricia Reeder Latham

Patricia Reeder Latham, 87, of Amarillo, Texas passed away on September 19, 2023.

Trisha was born January 26, 1936, in Nash, Texas to Daniel Leslie “DL” and Oma Lee Reeder. Her parents moved to Amarillo when she was three, and she graduated from Amarillo High School in 1953. Always creative, she loved to sing and dance in high school, and was featured in many Dixie Dice stage productions. She attended Texas Christian University with a scholarship in ballet, where she met her future husband, Joe Latham. They married just prior to graduating in 1957, and had three children together (Jay, Lynae, and Paige) before divorcing in 1973.

Trisha returned to Amarillo in 1964 and continued her work in the arts. She performed in many plays and musicals at the Amarillo Little Theater, with standout performances including “Annie” in

Annie Get Your Gun

and “Mrs. Hannigan” in

Annie

, for which she won an Alta Award. She earned her teacher’s certification and began her career as a high school speech and theater teacher in 1969, teaching at Palo Duro High School for 19 years and Randall High School for 11 years. Over the course of her teaching career, she introduced thousands of students to the magic of speech and theater and encouraged them to attend college and pursue their dreams.

In addition to theater, Trisha had a passion for visual arts. She earned a Master’s degree and began taking classes in oil painting, watercolor painting, and sculpture. When she retired from teaching, she began painting in earnest and became an excellent portrait artist, with pastels as her favorite medium.

Trisha was very outgoing. She loved truly talking with people, and as she aged, she believed her purpose was to connect with others and help them see life positively. She was an active member of the senior singles group at the First Methodist Church of Amarillo, and she loved to throw parties. When she needed assistance, she actively embraced her move to the Park Place Towers where she loved all of the clubs and activities. Trisha was a life-long optimist, and her joy and humor carried her through life, as well as uplifting countless others.

Trisha was preceded in death by her parents and her grandson, Connor Jacob. She is survived by her brother, Dan Reeder and his wife Sharon of Fort Worth; son, Jay Latham and his wife Terri of New Jersey; daughters, Lynae Jacob of Amarillo, and Paige Latham of Dallas; grandchildren, Jenna, Jordan, Scott, Marc, Kate, and Grace; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Trisha adored color – her favorites being red, orange, and purple. She never liked all the dark clothes at traditional funerals – “too depressing” – so her family invites all attendees to wear their brightest clothes in honor of Trisha’s creative and colorful spirit.