Pattilyn Smith

Pattilyn Gouner Smith, 71, of Denton, Texas, passed away on May 19, 2026.

Pattilyn or as the auto-voice at her Walgreens Pharmacy would call her “paa-TYE-land”, succumbed to the complications of lung disease after five years of intensive treatments.

Patti was born to Dorothy and Ray Gouner at St Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur Tx, the third of four siblings; Clifford Gouner, Meredith Avilez, and Rene Cozad. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings.

Patti graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and was a member of First Baptist Church of Port Arthur, Tx. She attended Baylor University and Lamar University before marrying Norman, her husband of 49 years, in August 1976. She and Norman welcomed three daughters into this world, Katie, Kristen, and Kelli.

After relocating to north Texas, Patti enrolled at the University of North Texas, graduating with a Honors Degree in Accounting the same year as her oldest graduated high school. As an honors graduate, Patti was offered a position with US Customs. She proudly served with the Inspector General’s office of US Customs until 9/11 when the Department of Homeland Security was created. She was a founding member of the DHS OIG, traveling extensively to uncover and document waste, fraud, and abuse of federal funds. She was deployed to many FEMA field locations including several months in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Best known by her colleagues for her strict adherence to the rule of law during audits, she garnered several awards for excellence at DHS. She retired from Federal Service after 20+ years.

Patti followed her mother in a passion for collecting primitive antique furniture and folk art. Though she was allergic to animal hair, she immensely enjoyed the company of many pets over the years. She was equally passionate in her politics, refusing to let her illnesses stop her from voting in all elections.

She is remembered by her family for her dedication, generosity, kindness, compassion, stubbornness, humor, and love. She loved having her husband, children, and grandchildren together and humored our wild ideas or silliness. A champion of the underdog, either in sports or life, she was the biggest supporter and advocate for her family. She was greatly loved and will be dearly missed.

In memory of Patti, please consider making a donation to Lone Star Dog Ranch and Dog Ranch Rescue in Anna, Texas in place of flowers. 

A come-and-go Celebration of Life will be held on June 13, 2026 at The Stony Schoolhouse (13943 Old Stoney Rd, Ponder, TX 76259) from 2-5pm. Please join us for a casual time to share stories and remember Patti’s life.