by Jessica McElroy
Photos courtesy of Patsy Dumas, Headshot by Brooke Mathis: Beautiful Evolutions Photography
Patsy Dumas is finishing a 58-year career in the Banking Industry and retiring at the end of the year. If you’ve been around Burleson for any length of time, chances are you have met or worked with Patsy. She and her husband Billy moved to Burleson in December of 1955 with their son who was only a toddler at the time. “I remember seeing that population sign when we first arrived. It read 973.” With a current estimated population at more than 51,000, it’s safe to say that Patsy and her family had a front row seat as Burleson came of age. “Our community leaders here have done a really great job with the growth. There are opportunities here and a beautiful diversity, and there is still a community-minded spirit here. It’s just a really special place.” It’s a common theme that we hear repeated often, because it is true. Burleson is unique. When we have people like Patsy pouring their heart into our community here, it’s easy to see why.
For the past 23 years of her career, Patsy has worked at the First National Bank of Burleson. “When they hired me, they asked me how long I thought I would stay. I told them 5 years.” If you’ve had the pleasure of working with Patsy you know that it’s no surprise that she stayed well beyond those five years. She has no agenda other than what is good for her client, the community, and the bank. “It’s an interesting job. While you can’t make everybody happy, when you are able to help someone, you get to see the immediate benefit to their family and the community. It just feels good to help.” Thanks to her impressive career span, Patsy has had the joy of helping not only returning clients, but clients’ children and even grandchildren. She shared that before she left her last bank, the well-loved local Cow Pasture Bank, she borrowed a legacy from the Bank owner there. It is a legacy she says she has held close to her heart ever since, and one she has worked hard to carry out in her life. “Very simply, it is that I want to be remembered for loving to help. Because I do.”
Aside from her impressive career, over the years Patsy has been involved with various Boards and organizations all across Burleson. She was not only the first female Rotary member to sit on the Board, she was their first female Board President. She sits on the Board for the Burleson Opportunity Fund, helped start the Burleson Police Foundation Board, has served on the Burleson Character Council Board, the Athena Society of Burleson Board, served multiple terms as the Burleson Chamber Board President, and currently sits as the President of the United Cooperative Services Board, an electrical co-op that serves 14 different counties. To say that she stays busy feels like a major understatement – to say the least. But what is apparent to anyone who knows Patsy is that she loves this community.
Patsy with Ashley Vincent (left) and Laura Ledford (right) at a Girls Night Out event at Lost Oak Winer in Burleson.
Her community definitely loves her right back. Local Life’s Tiffany Janelopoulos speaks very highly of the impact Patsy has had, “Burleson has had a few stand-up women in our community, and Patsy Dumas is definitely one of them. She helps raise so much money for great causes, has served on multiple boards and been actively plugged into our community for so many years. She has made Burleson a better place to be.” Billy Cordell, Burleson’s Chief of Police for the last 8 years, also shared his appreciation for Patsy. “Patsy was one of the first people I met when I came to Burleson PD in 2014, and it didn’t take me long to realize how wonderful she is. I shared my vision of creating the Burleson Police Foundation with her and four other community members, and if you know Patsy you know that it wasn’t surprising when she called me soon after that conversation to let me know she had the money in place. Patsy is an original Board Member of the Foundation and has been an integral part of its success. I am so appreciative of her and everything she has done not just for the police department, but for Burleson.”
Patsy and Ashley Vincent (right) on a recent visit to Sironia in Waco.
Patsy has been married an impressive 68 years. She and her husband Billy grew up together and even rode the same school bus. As children who each dealt with a lot of loss early in life, they found love and stability in each other and married young. Together they raised a son, Larry, who now lives in Florida near his daughter Emily-Anne and her husband Josh. While she was a bit nervous about retirement, she is very excited to have more time to spend visiting Larry, Emily-Anne, Josh and her great grandson Rynn in Coco Beach. She is also very involved with Pathway church, which she started attending after the pandemic, “My small group at Pathway has become like family. I really love it there.” In her spare time, she also enjoys gardening and decorating, and she’s excited to spend a little more time exploring those hobbies! All of us here at Local Life want to wish Patsy all the best as she closes this chapter and begins another adventure in retirement. We are so thankful for your love for this community and your heart of service, Patsy. Burleson is better for having you here. Congratulations!