Sallie Pate
On 28 December, 2020, in Nassau Bay, Texas, the life of the most wonderful, caring, funny, intelligent, creative and beautiful person ever to walk the earth came to an end after 72 years of improving the world. If you had the privilege of knowing Sallie Ann Biggs Pate, your world was enhanced and it may never recover from her loss.
She was born Sallie Ann Biggs on 24 May, 1948, to Robert Henry Biggs and Joleen Ruth Hunter Biggs in Enid, Oklahoma. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Phillips University and a Masters of Fine Arts from Texas Christian University.
After college she worked as an actress at Casa Mañana Playhouse in Ft Worth, Texas. A year later, she moved to Vermillion, South Dakota, where she taught acting, creative dramatics, children’s theatre, and costume design and construction at the University of South Dakota. She also directed numerous productions along with designing and building costumes. In 1979, Sallie moved to the University of Houston Clear Lake City where she continued to teach, direct and costume. When she retired, she took up designing and constructing quilts, starting her own company, Sallie Pate Designs. She was very much in demand as a teacher of quilting and other fabric arts. When quilting became too easy, she switched to embroidery, earning a Master Craftsman award, as well as continuing to utilize her formidable skills as a teacher and designer.
In 1972, she gave Jeff Pate the honor of becoming her husband. They lived happily ever after for 48 years.
In 2019, she broke all the rules and survived pancreatic cancer,. Ultimately though, her amazing spirit could not overcome her deteriorating body.
Sallie Pate is preceded in death by her father and mother, Robert and Joleen Biggs, and her brother, Steven Biggs. She is survived by her grieving husband, Jeff Pate, her sister Judy Vonada of Reno, Nevada, as well as niece Trisha Conner Shaffer and nephews Jason Biggs and Michael Biggs of Alabama.
Sallie’s wish was to be cremated. There will be no service. A celebration of her life will be arranged and announced when it is once again safe for us all to travel and gather. Please, if you knew her and loved her, do something nice for someone. As she did every day of her extraordinary life.
I’m so sorry Jeff. She was amazing, for sure. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
I had the privilege of knowing Sallie since the day I was born. She was an amazing woman and always excelled at whatever she put her mind to. In addition to her love for quilting and theater she was fantastic at math and even was in a beauty contest in Wilmington, North Carolina. She was beautiful! With the help of our grandmother she designed and made her entire college wardrobe. She loved knowledge and was an avid reader. She survived all the tricks her younger brother and sister played on her. She also managed to play tricks of her own. She stuck huge daisy decals on the car she and her brother shared. He never drove the car again. She was her Mom’s best friend. She always won at trivial pursuit! She was lucky enough to find the love of her life with Jeff♥️ She will be missed.
Sally brought joy into every room she entered. I knew from the Houston Embroidery Guild. She was always friendly and willing to include others in anything she put her had too. She will be greatly missed. My condolences to her husband, family and close friends.
I had the distinct pleasure of taking a class in Casalguidi embroidery from Sallie many years ago at an Embroiderers’ Guild of America South Central Region seminar held in Houston. It was one of the best classes I ever took. Sallie was an excellent teacher, and she made the learning fun. I am truly saddened by this loss; and my sincere condolences go to Sallie’s family. Sallie will definitely be missed.
Sallie was a warm and kind person. She had the sweetest smile. I felt so fortunate to receive her handmade ornament at Houston Embroiders’ Guild ornament exchange in 2019. It will always be on my tree. It was a blessing to know Sallie and such an inspiration to us all. We will miss her.
Aunt Sallie was an intelligent, creative, inspiring, and beautiful woman. She taught me that women can be influential, fearless, talented, and loving. She gave me the gifts of the classics (Little Women, Amelia Bedelia, C.S.Lewis) and inspired me to be my own woman. She was a force to be reckoned with, yet as warming as the sun. She was deeply loved & will be missed.
Will miss you and your beautiful quilts
So sorry to hear about Sallie’s passing. My condolences to Jeff. With my regards from afar and long ago.
So sorry to hear of Sallie’s passing. I had the privilege to work with both Sallie and Jeff at USD in Vermillion back in the 1970s. I was in Jeff’s play, “Booth.” Working with Sallie and Jeff was a gift. Praying for Jeff and family.
Sallie was a cherished friend when we were young and at USD. Sadly, we lost touch long ago. I am so honoured to have known her. Karen Durst