Mary Patricia Colbert

Mary Patricia “Pattie” Colbert passed away surrounded by the love of her family. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Pattie lived a life rooted in faith, kindness, creativity, and unconditional love. Her family was her greatest joy and proudest accomplishment, and the traditions and memories she created will live on for generations.

Pattie was born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to Lt. Col. James R. Ryan and Julia May Ryan, the third of six children. As the daughter of an Air Force family, she lived in many places throughout her childhood including Oslo, Norway; Alabama; Kansas; Illinois; Frankfurt, Germany; Colorado; Stillwater; California; and eventually Oklahoma City. Her father lovingly called her “Mary,” though most knew her as Pattie. From a young age, she fiercely loved and protected her siblings and carried that same nurturing spirit throughout her life.

She graduated from Bishop McGuinness High School and attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where she met the love of her life, George Colbert. Together they built a beautiful life centered around family, faith, laughter, and love.

Pattie worked in Human Resources for Hertz, but her true calling was caring for others. She welcomed everyone with a genuine smile and had a remarkable gift for making people feel special and important. She was everyone’s biggest cheerleader, always ready to listen, encourage, comfort, and celebrate the people she loved.

A lifelong Catholic, Pattie faithfully served at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in many capacities throughout the years. She sewed baptismal gowns, volunteered in the church office, donated blood regularly, answered phones for people in need, donated regularly to Catholic Charities, and gave her time generously to others.

Pattie was deeply creative and talented. She loved swimming, the beach, body boarding, diving (winning many competitions and being asked to dive for the Norwegian Diving team, she politely declined as she was a proud American), piano, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, and cross stitching. When her mother said she had a favorite poem she read in a 1944 magazine, she searched for weeks at the library to find the specific poem and cross stitched it for her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. She listened and always did things with love and care. She crocheted countless beloved figures for her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, including Yoda, Groot, Stitch, and many more treasured creations. She sewed matching Easter dresses for her daughters, made costumes for school plays, formal dresses, wraparound skirts, and lovingly patched knees and hemmed pants for anyone who needed it.

She loved cheering on not only her children, but also her nieces and nephews at sporting events, recitals, concerts, and plays. Holidays were especially important to her, particularly Christmas. She spent days baking pies, decorating three Christmas trees covered in ornaments collected for each grandchild, and creating magical Christmas mornings for the children she adored. Before every family meal, she gathered everyone in a circle to hold hands in prayer, ending with her beloved tradition: “If you love me and don’t want to say so, squeeze my hand.” Every hand was always squeezed.

Pattie is survived by her devoted husband, George Colbert; her children Jeffrey Colbert and his children Brooklyn Colbert and Luca Colbert; Amy Dupont, her husband George Dupont, and their children Danielle Dupont, Katherine Dupont, and Jacob Dupont; Kimberly Colbert, her partner Andrew Smith, and her children Courtney and her children Atticus Colbert, Collin Jones, Euri Jones, Lindsey Jones, and Guinevere Jones; Amber Reagan, her husband Brian Reagan, and their children Lucy Reagan, Marley Reagan, Josephine “Josie” Reagan, Austin Reagan, and Gideon Reagan; Destiny Colbert and her children Micah Waxler, Henry Trevino, and Lincoln Colbert; and Victoria Gibson; Susan Colbert and her children Lily Wagenknecht and Axel Wagenknecht; Lori Head, her husband Michael Head, and their children Georgia Head and Berlin Head; and George Colbert, his wife Michael Ann Colbert, and their children Zachary Colbert and George Logan Colbert.

She is also survived by her sisters Kathy Markette and her husband Donny, Susan Forman and her husband Alan Forman, Melissa Ryan, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James R. Ryan and Julia May Ryan; her sister, Loretta Hopp; and her brother, James Ryan.

An evening prayer vigil and rosary will be held Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Smith & Kernke N. May Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, May 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1901 NW 18th Street, Oklahoma City. Burial will follow at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery.

Pattie’s love, warmth, faith, humor, and generosity touched countless lives. She leaves behind a family bound together by the traditions, memories, and unconditional love she created every single day of her life.