W. Rae Pyatt Obituary

Rae Pyatt of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away of natural causes in Reno, NV, where she had resided since May, 2008. Willi-Rae Tompkins was born near the town of Spearman, Texas, to Grace Irene (Forrester) and Thomas Carl Tompkins. For some reason, she never referred to herself as Willi-Rae. The family moved from Texas to San Francisco in 1940, where Rae attended Polytechnic High School. There she also secured her first job as an elevator operator. Rae met and married Richard Pyatt in 1943, not long before he departed with the US Army to fight in the European campaign. After the war, they lived in the Bay area. Later, Dick’s occupation as a construction supervisor, kept them chasing the boom. They resided in Denver, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, Houston, Reno, and Santa Ana, Ca. Rae and Dick ended up back in Albuquerque, where they decided to retire. When the situation allowed, she worked as a key punch operator, receptionist, model home decorator and clothing sales clerk, working part-time until almost 80. Rae was preceded in death by her mother, Grace, her father, Thomas, her sister Latrelle Tompkins, her brothers Truman and Thomas Tompkins and her husband, Dick. She is survived by her two sons, Richard R. Pyatt (Daisy) Gregory E. Pyatt (Cheryl), two grandsons, eight great grandchildren, and more friends than you can shake a stick at. A brief graveside service will be held on Friday, March 6th at 10 A.M. Rae will be interred at the Santa Fe National Cemetery next to her husband of 51 years, Richard B. Pyatt. In remembrance and celebration of Rae’s 84 year adventure, family and friends are invited to an informal memorial to be held Saturday, March 7th at 11 A.M. in the Four Hills Mobile Home Park’s Piru Club House located at 12300 Piru Blvd., S.E. Albuquerque. Please bring your memories and stories.