goodbye to a steel magnolia

I’m sure you are all aware that former First Lady of Mississippi Pat Fordice died this morning at home with her family. No woman was a more authentic Steel Magnolia than Ms. Fordice. Even after her divorce from former husband Gov. Kirk Fordice in 2000, she remained a pillar of strength through Gov. Fordice’s final days, taking great care of him while suffering from leukemia until his death in 2004 and displayed touching, gentile emotion at his memorial.

She recently worked under Jackson Mayor Frank Melton as the head of the city’s Human and Cultural Services Department overseeing youth and senior services as well as art and cultural programs. The Southern Belle continued to strike a chord with Mississippians through the “I’m Not Your Mama” campaign for a litter-free Mississippi. Ms. Fordice will always stand as a true example of what it means to be a lady.