Our dear friend, longtime steward, supporter, storyteller, organizer and organizer of the Gulf Defense – Pat Starr – passed away earlier this year. Her services ceremony will appear at Corpus Christi on Wednesday, March 19th. I drive to pay our respects and grieve with her family and community. You can read her obituary here.
Many of our followers may have stories or six to share about Pat, her sons Hal and John, and their commitment to the coastal bends and people. Feel free to share your words here. Let them reach their families (click here to share).
Pat Sutter represented an intergenerational commitment to land management, coastal wildlife defense, and corporate accountability. On this past International Women’s Day, we celebrated Pat’s legacy and lamented her death. Pat’s legacy is the myriad lives she touched through education, mentoring and leadership, a cleaner environment, a growing awareness of the importance of conservation in our everyday lives, and many of her favourite memories left behind with her family and friends.
While serving on many city, county and state-level advisory boards and committees, Pat has become a major force in local and statewide conservation efforts and organizations. In this work, she received multiple awards and was continuously recognized. Pat had a major impact on virtually all conservation issues that affected the lives of the people of South Texas, coastal bends and Texans. Recognizing both Pat and Hans’ enduring contributions to environmental protection, the City of Corpus Christi has rededicated Cayo delso’s South Gas Park as a wildlife sanctuary for Hans and Pat Suter. Suter Park has become famous as a world-class bird viewing area, captivating visitors from all over the world.
In 1986, 22 acres along Cayodel Oso received several improvements, including an 800-foot promenade above the Marshlands, as well as a 3,500-foot hike and a bike trail featuring a recreational area and picnic tables and playgrounds, which featured the park’s bird watching area. The site became Hans and Pat’s Wildlife Refuge in 2011.
Watch her hear Pat in her own words in this one-hour video interview.
Share your social media commemorative post here:
Instagram posts
Facebook Posts
Rest in peace with power putts.
Dave Cortez
