Emily Patricia Kerley Hansom

Emily Patricia “Pat” Hansom (née Kerley), 77, passed away peacefully in her Phoenix, Arizona home, surrounded by her family on Monday, April 8, 2024. Pat was born in Dallas, TX, the eldest child of Ed and Frances Kerley’s three children. She spent her earliest years in the Dallas area near her large extended family. In 1955, her family relocated to Arizona, first to Yuma and then in the early 1960s, the family moved to North Phoenix where she would spend the rest of her life.

Pat graduated from Camelback High School in 1964. In 1967, she met her eternal companion Reginald Andrew “Andy” Hansom, Jr. She deeply loved and admired the Hansom family, and as a result of their love and example, she was converted and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shortly before she and Andy were married on August 23, 1968. Patty and Andy were sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple the following year.

Pat and Andy raised their five children in Phoenix, AZ. Patty was a successful entrepreneur. Her business, Hansom Costumes, made dancewear for studios around the Northwest Valley for over 20 years. She used her sewing skills to help support her family, but also to bless others and provide service in all her circles of influence, creating items of beauty and utility and teaching her skills to anyone willing to learn. She was not only a gifted seamstress but excelled at any artistic endeavor she set her mind to.

Pat was passionate about her family. This was manifest through her dedication to genealogy work. From the time of her baptism, she spent her life painstakingly searching for her ancestors to link them as part of her eternal family. Patty’s love for her family was best on display in the presence of her “spectacular” grandchildren; she celebrated each one for their individuality, and her place as their grandmother was her most cherished role.

Patty served in nearly every capacity available to her in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: a teacher to children, teens and adults, a family history advisor, and as the President of her congregation’s women’s organization. She impacted hundreds of people through her teaching and service. However, her greatest impact was within the walls of her own home, raising her children with love and faith, and caring for her disabled sister, Ann, with kindness and devotion. Over the years, her house was a welcoming home to many outside her immediate family, stretching to fit any need.

Pat is survived by her dear husband of 56 years, Andy, her five children Traci Arias (Tony), Jason Hansom (Bethany), Lindsey Peterson (Layne), Kierra Burns (Robert), and Joshua Hansom (Miranda), 20 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and her younger brother Jim Kerley. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Frances Kerley, her parents-in-law Reg and Nell Hansom, and her younger sister Ann Kerley. The memory of her determination, loving service, and pursuit of the things that brought her joy will carry her loved ones through the immense loss felt by all.

Funeral services for Pat will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 11:00 AM, with visitation one hour prior at the Country Gables Ward Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 15018 N. 39th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85053. The concluding service and interment will take place at 2:00 P.M. at The City of Mesa Cemetery, 1212 N. Center Street in Mesa, Arizona. Arrangements are being cared for by Bunker Family Funerals in Mesa, AZ. The family wishes to express immense gratitude to Hospice of the Valley for the tender care they provided during Patty’s final months.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.