Ms. Senior Oklahoma

Patricia Fisher, 86, of Canoe Brook Assisted Living was crowned Ms. Senior Oklahoma 2012 in the Assisted Living division.

Patricia Fisher, donning her tiara and sashes while holding her queenly scepter, with Angela Crisp, activities director of Canoe Brook Assisted Living.

Congratulations to Patricia Fisher, newly crowned Ms. Senior Oklahoma 2012! Patricia is a resident of Canoe Brook Assisted Living in Catoosa. The Ms. Senior Oklahoma Pageant celebrates senior women throughout Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma, including those in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities and senior life services. Proceeds from the pageant benefit the Grace Hospice Foundation. The 2012 pageant was held August 25 at Tulsa Community College’s VanTrease Performing Arts Center.

    Patricia is proud to be the winning queen of the Assisted Living category, which featured 12 beautiful contestants. “I was really surprised when I won because there were so many ­lovely, classy ladies! But I am thrilled and very appreciative.” As Ms. Senior Oklahoma, Patricia will attend scheduled appearances and participate in local parades over the next year. She will return to the 2013 ­pageant to pass on the title to the next queen.  

    The pageant includes an interview question that the ­participants have time to rehearse for in advance. Angela Crisp, activities director of Canoe Brook, explains that Patricia actually answered two questions during the pageant. “The first question they asked her – ‘What advice would you give to 16-year-old girls today?’ – was not the one she had ­prepared for. But you wouldn’t have known it! She was very quick to answer and advised young ladies to keep their legs crossed and to go to school and get an education,” laughs Angela. “She was also able to answer the question she had rehearsed: ‘What has changed in technology in your lifetime?’ Patricia discussed the changes in space technology and how absolutely amazed her father would have been at the recent Mars landing.”

    It’s no surprise that Patricia felt at ease on the stage. While living in New York City in the 1940s, she worked as a runway model for the finest Maximilian furriers. She also worked for Stein & Blaine and modeled at a party filled with movie star guests, including Clark Gable, Peter Lawford, Jean Arthur, Errol Flynn and Marlene Dietrich. Patricia says that her modeling career and marrying her husband, Leonard, are her life’s proudest moments. Leonard passed away six months ago, and she believes he would have been so proud of her for winning the Ms. Senior Oklahoma crown.

    Patricia was born on April 4, 1926 in Oklahoma City. After living all across the East Coast as well as in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she moved back to her home state in 1969. “I love Oklahoma and am very proud of my Osage blood,” she adds.

    Patricia also has high praise for her current home at Canoe Brook. “I’m so grateful to be ­living in such a wonderful place. If you are unable to live on your own, this is the best place to be. Everyone who works here is so kind and dedicated.” In fact, the staff feels like family to her. “I no longer have most of my ­family, except for my sister in law and nieces, so it’s nice having people around that truly care about you.”

    Patricia is grateful to her nieces, who handcrafted her Ms. Oklahoma scepter – a first in the pageant’s seven-year ­history. “The organizers are going to include scepters in their pageant from now on!”says Angela. Angela is beyond proud of Queen Patricia. “She is a perfect example of how just because we get older, it doesn’t mean we lose our beauty.”  

For more information, contact

Canoe Brook Assisted Living & Alzheimer Care

www.canoebrookassistedliving.com

About Author Sheryl Sowell

Sheryl Sowell was born and raised in Tulsa, OK. She graduated from Will Rogers High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Northeastern State University in 2007. She has worked for Value News as editor, writer and advertising copywriter since 2008. She enjoys meeting and interviewing people for Value News articles, learning about their backgrounds, and helping to promote their businesses and local events. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new recipes and crafts from Pinterest, attending concerts and sporting events, and spending time with family and friends. Sheryl lives in Tulsa with her fiancé Paul, their daughter Scarlett, and their two dogs, Gunner and Boo.