Patricia “Patsy” Proctor Rendleman, of Salisbury, NC, Class of 1947, passed away on December 6, 2024.
A 1947 graduate of Catawba College, Patsy majored in math and minored in history. As a student, Patsy was active in the Blue Masque in theatre, Sigma Pi Alpha and was a drum majorette. Following graduation, Patsy served on the board of directors of Proctor Chemical Co., Inc., which was founded by her father Edward. The Proctor Foundation, founded by her mother Lucile, supported many local non-profit organizations and programs and Patsy served as an officer and director on its board.
She and her husband Richard, a 1941 graduate of Catawba, loyally supported their alma mater in numerous ways. They provided the Rendleman Annual Scholarships, and in 1986 they established the Richard J. and Patricia P. Rendleman First Family Endowed Scholarship designated to provide scholarship support to students in the Shuford School of Performing Arts at Catawba. Patsy, her family members and support from the Proctor Foundation and Salisbury Community Foundation funded a Youth-At- Risk Program at Catawba in 1994, which paired Catawba students with at-risk students in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools to serve as mentors and role models. She and her husband were charter members of the Catawba Chiefs Club and were Lifetime Chiefs. They were generous supporters of Catawba athletics, particularly its golf program.
Patsy served on the Board of Trustees of Catawba College from 1976 until 2013, during which time she served on the Presidential Search Committee which named Fred Corriher as Catawba’s president. She chaired the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees for two decades and served on the Board’s Executive Committee and as vice-chair of the Board from 1988 to 1995. She served on the campaign steering committee for Catawba during that time. She was awarded an honorary doctor of humanitarian service degree from Catawba in 1984. She and her husband supported the establishment of the Proctor Health Center at Catawba College which was dedicated in 1988. The Rendleman Conference Room of the Hedrick Hall Administration building at Catawba was named in her honor in 2004. Upon stepping down from the Board of Trustees in 2013, Patsy was honored by the Board with Trustee Emerita status.
The Catawba College women’s annual golf tournament is named in honor of Patsy Rendleman. She was instrumental in starting the Catawba Women’s Golf team in 1999. An avid and excellent golfer, Patsy served as a member, vice president and president of the Women’s Carolinas Golf Association. She was ladies golf champion at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, NC; at Linville Golf Club where she also served as club chairman; and locally at the Salisbury Country Club, winning twenty championships.
Catawba College recognized Patsy’s dedication and service with the Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service in 1991, and in 1997 with its Exemplary Life Service Award. In 2023, she was inducted into the Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame recognizing her significant impact and contributions for the golf program and athletics at Catawba College.
In addition to her loyal support of her alma mater, Patsy was very involved in the local community. For many years she was active in Piedmont Players Theatre, serving on its board including as board president, and co-chairing its membership drive. She served on the board of the Salisbury-Rowan YMCA, and the Salisbury Community Foundation. A member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, she served on the altar guild, the endowment committee, and co-chaired a capital campaign. She was a member and served as secretary of the Rowan County Parks and Recreation Commission. She served on the board of trustees of the Rowan Memorial Hospital Foundation. She chaired the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in Durham, NC, of which she was a charter member, and was awarded a Shingleton Award by the Center in 1991 for her dedication and support. She also served on the Advisory Committee of Cannon Memorial Hospital in Banner Elk, NC. She was a supporter of the Bell Tower Green project in Salisbury.
She was predeceased by her husband, Richard J. Rendleman ’41. Those who remain to cherish her memory include two sons, Richard “Dick” Rendleman (wife Nancy) and John Rendleman, daughter Pat Rendleman, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, her extended family, and her Catawba family.
