Patricia Cruser Obituary

Cruser
Patricia Townsend
Cruser
July 10, 1936
November 14, 2022

Death finally caught up with Patricia Townsend Cruser after pursuing her for 85 years across four continents and 32 countries, one million air miles, 20 years of schooling, 30 years of university classrooms, a multitude of gastronomic dinners, and 10 years of caring for her dying parents.
She was born Patricia Ann Townsend in Easton, MD on the hottest day then on record. She lived her happy childhood in Denton and her beach life in Ocean City, MD. Her schooling included Denton High School, St Mary's Academy, Dickinson College and the University of Pennsylvania. For 15 years she helped her parents Virginia Strickland Townsend and Everett Townsend operate Northwinds, their motel in Ocean City, while also tending her brother Wesley Townsend, Whaleyville, MD, and her sister Barbara Townsend-Dozier, Chester, VA.
While in graduate school at Penn she married, unhappily, Paul Cruser, retaining his surname after divorce; she had by then established a professional reputation as a teacher, scholar, professor of literature and film, associate dean for liberal arts at the Philadelphia College of Arts (now University of the Arts). Among her achievements was establishing one of the first art-therapy programs for students. She was a long-time active participant in the College Art Association.
She spent many summers as a Reader of Advanced Placement exams for the College Board. There she met her future husband, Jack M. Shuttleworth, Brigadier General , USAF (ret), Professor of English Emeritus, USAF Academy. They married in 1982. As a military spouse she graciously created and hosted bi-monthly dinners for members and spouses of the USAFA English Department. She also volunteered for ten years at Penrose Hospital as a patient representative in Surgical Waiting and the Emergency Room.
A woman of generous grace, academic brilliance, adventurous spirit, and quiet compassion, she engendered lasting affection from students, colleagues, and friends. Death found her in memory care at Brookdale Monument Valley and took her quietly on 14 November after several years of decline. She is survived by her husband, brother,and sister. In her self-effacing way, she asked for no public ceremony to mark her passing. Inurnment will be at the USAF Academy Cemetery at a later date.