Patricia Posey, a smiling presence with The Times from the start, dies at age 72

Patricia Posey, who mixed professional competence with relentless good cheer as a charter employee of The Washington Times, has died at the age of 72.

Mrs. Posey, affectionately known as “Pat,” was a Clinton, Maryland, resident who had been with The Times almost continuously since the newspaper’s debut in 1982. She was hired as an office assistant and served in numerous administrative positions in the Circulation Department, including customer care coordinator and data entry clerk.

Her family said Mrs. Posey was still talking of a return to her duties after a series of health setbacks this year, but she succumbed to natural causes Nov. 9.

She never had a byline for the newspaper or interviewed the high and mighty, but she was a critical member of the backroom operation that made the daily newspaper and The Times’ website possible. She was the “heart and soul of the Circulation Department,” in the words of Washington Times Senior Director for Digital Strategy and Audience Development Adam VerCammen.

“She was the epitome of a team player,” Mr. VerCammen recalled, “a one-of-a-kind employee who would do anything for The Washington Times. … You cannot find an employee here who hasn’t been touched by Pat somehow.”

“Lord knows, she loved The Times,” her daughter Kahlil Posey recalled in an interview. “It kept her going. Right after she had surgery this summer, the first thing my mother talked about was when she could get back to work.”

Co-workers recalled her infectious laugh, broad smile and sense of humor even under the pressures of producing and paying for a daily newspaper. Mrs. Posey had a knack for calming even the most frustrated subscriber as she efficiently dealt with billing issues. One of her colleagues recalled that she had “a large fan club” throughout all divisions of the company.

“While I only knew Pat for less than three years, it felt like I knew her forever,” said Times Executive Vice President Joe Teipe, who added that Mrs. Posey’s passing “creates a deep hole in the heart of The Washington Times family.”

“She was just that kind of person — a rare individual with a genuine kindness and compassion for everyone and everything.”

Patricia Yvonne Washington was born Aug. 30, 1949, in Purcellville, Virginia, the first child of John H. and Rose Barnes Washington. Educated in the Purcellville school system and graduating from Loudoun Valley High School in 1968, Mrs. Posey was a leader of leaders who participated in the band, Dramatic Club, Pep Club and Student Cooperative Association.

She married John Noble Posey Jr. in 1972 and relocated to the District of Columbia with their three children while Mr. Posey served in the Army National Guard.

Mrs. Posey worked as an administrative aide for the city’s Office of the Recorder of Deeds and for the Public Broadcasting Service, but spent nearly four decades working for The Washington Times in a series of positions.

Her family remembered her as a quiet, gentle spirit who loved spending time with family and friends and whose memory they will cherish forever.

Her husband and daughter recalled her passion for the TV series “Gunsmoke” and for Western movies in general. Mrs. Posey was also an avid reader who always had “a book in hand,” Kahlil Posey recalled. “We still have a lot of books lying around the house and in her car.” She also was a collector of Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Mrs. Posey is survived by her husband, John N. Posey Jr.; son Samuel Posey; daughter Kahlil Posey; and four grandchildren: Ted L. Brown Jr. (TJ), Kevin D. Posey, Malaka B. Posey and Jerahmeel S. Shields.

Her blended family would in time grow to include six siblings — sisters Renee Washington, Tonya Washington and Phyllis Washington and brothers Lamont Hopson, Eric Washington and Samuel Henderson — as well as her “bonus mom” Edvinia Washington and her close friend and colleague Rinell Randolph, whom she jokingly nicknamed “The Old Buzzard” and who gave her the nickname “Old Lady.”

Her son, Stanley C. Posey, and her sister, Tonya Washington, preceded her in death.

A memorial service for Mrs. Posey has been scheduled at The Washington Times Building, 3600 New York Ave. NE, in the District, on Saturday, Nov. 27. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m., followed by a memorial service and a repast.