Patricia Anne Reid departed this life on July 1, 2010. Pat was born in and grew up in Columbus, GA. She was the daughter of Mary and Robert Reid. Pat is a graduate of Baker High School in Columbus and graduated from the St. Francis Hospital Nursing School as a Registered Nurse; where she went on to specialize in critical care. Her love of nursing and helping others inspired her to support continuing education for LPNs and CNAs through the Bobby Reid Family Fund. Pat chose to change career paths, which led her to Atlanta and a job as Mansion Manager for Georgia's First Lady, Mary Beth Busbee. She had a love of politics and discussing current events whenever possible. Pat served in different capacities for several Atlanta non-profits. She was Executive Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in the 1980's, oversaw the world-premiere of the movie Steel Magnolias, and spent 15 years as Vice President of Development for Visiting Nurse/Hospice Atlanta until her retirement in 2006. Pat oversaw all of the fundraising for and the completion of the Andrew and Eula Carlos Hospice Atlanta Center in 1996. Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Robert "Bobby" Reid, and his wife Patti. A true animal lover, Pat was never without her canine companions. A special thank you goes out to the Shallowford Presbyterian Church Alzheimer's Support Group for their dedication and friendship and to the ICU Green team at Piedmont Hospital for their caring support. A memorial service will be held at H.M. Patterson & Sons, Spring Hill, 1020 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, on Wednesday, the seventh of July at eleven in the morning. Interment will take place at Park Hill Cemetery in Columbus, GA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Salvation Army, the Bobby Reid Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, or the charity of your choice.

Patricia Reid had a knack for fund-raising, and for more than 25 years several of Atlanta’s top non-profits benefited from her skills.

Most notably, during the 1980s, Ms. Reid was the first executive director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Georgia Chapter. Later, she was vice president of development for the non-profit Visiting Nurses/Hospice Atlanta.

In that position, she lobbied state lawmakers and “was able to raise money for people who could not afford end-of-life care,” said friend and former colleague Libby King of Sandy Springs.

Ms. Reid was passionate when fighting for something she believed in and was able to put together fund-raisers that attracted the city’s top philanthropic givers, friends said.

“She had a go-get-’em attitude. She made you want to join her efforts,” said friend Andrea Pruitt of Atlanta. Mrs. Pruitt, wife of Channel 2 Action News anchor John Pruitt, served on the JDRF board of directors when Ms. Reid was director.

Mrs. Pruitt recalls how giddy the two were at the success of the charity’s first major fund-raiser. A celebrity chef’s dinner brought in thousands for diabetes research. Before Ms. Reid’s tenure, board members had to pay for postage out of their own pockets, Mrs. Pruitt said.

“She really turned that organization around and got its name out there,” Mrs. Pruitt said. “She was a great fund-raiser.”

Patricia Anne Reid, 62, of Atlanta died July 1 at Piedmont Hospital from complications of Crohn’s disease. A memorial service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at H.M. Patterson & Sons, Spring Hill, 1020 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. H.M. Patterson & Sons is in charge of arrangements.

Her friends said Ms. Reid was politically astute, an ardent Democrat who honed her abilities for organizing events when she served as assistant to former Georgia First Lady Mary Beth Busbee.

Her job was to attend gatherings with the first lady and oversee functions and guest visits for the Governor’s Mansion.

Ms. Reid’s initial career was as an intensive care unit nurse. She grew up in Columbus, and graduated from Baker High School and the St. Francis Hospital Nursing School in her hometown. She went to work at St. Francis, specializing in critical care.

Ms. Reid changed careers after going back to college and earning a political science degree. After graduation, she joined George Busbee’s gubernatorial campaign and criss-crossed the state stumping with Mrs. Busbee.

Following her job at the Governor’s Mansion, Ms. Reid moved into non-profit work. She remained close to the Busbee family, said friends, and kept up with state and national politics.

“Pat loved politics. She was a huge Democrat,” said Ms. King, who worked for her as events manager at Visiting Nurse/Hospice Atlanta. “When President Obama was elected she just cried and cheered.”

Ms. Reid’s position with the hospice organization “was the perfect marriage of everything she loved,” Ms. King said. It combined politics, health care and fund-raising.

For 15 years, Ms. Reid lobbied, secured grants and raised funds for the non-profit organization. Most notably, she oversaw all of the fund-raising and completion of the Andrew and Eula Carlos Hospice Atlanta Center in 1996.

Ms. Reid also directed other large-scale events. She was in charge of the world premiere of “Steel Magnolias” held in Atlanta in 1989, and helped with the national fund-raising efforts for the restoration of the Statute of Liberty.

Ms. Reid took an early retirement in 2006 to take care of the health needs of her family. Her brother, Robert “Bobby” Reid of Macon, was fighting cancer, and his wife, Patti, had Alzheimer’s disease. Her mother, Mary Reid of Columbus, was in her 90s with age-related health issues.

For the next two years, Ms. Reid nursed all three until each of them passed away, said friends.

The care she extended to her family, she would have done for anyone, Ms. King said.

“If somebody in the hospice was all alone, she would go and sit by their bed and hold their hand,” Ms. King said.

In her spare time, Ms. Reid was involved with the Alzheimer’s Support Group at Shallowford Road Presbyterian Church. She loved her dogs, especially Daisy, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She also enjoyed gardening and meeting friends at the Colonnade restaurant.

There are no immediate survivors.