Patsy Ruth Vuillemot Denney

Patsy Ruth Vuillemot DenneyMarch 6, 1941-September 14, 2026

A native of the small town of New Iberia in Louisiana’s bayou country, 130 miles west of New Orleans, Patsy Ruth Vuillemot Denney—Bitty as she was called then—was never destined to be a Southern Belle. After graduating from Mt. Carmel Academy in New Iberia, she married William Carl Denney and left the South. It was her husband’s career as a pilot with United Airlines that took them to California, and it was in California in the 1960s where her spunky spirit soared. While raising two children, she became a pilot herself, played an enthusiastic game of tennis, cultivated many lifelong friends and lived her life to the fullest.

Her first love was always her two children, Mary and William, being particularly attentive to their education needs, directing and guiding them as they stretched their wings and grew up.

In 1975, the family moved to Morgan Hill and Patsy began work as a real estate agent. She quickly shed the name “Patsy” for the more androgynous name “Pat,” telling her daughter that “this way they will never know whether it’s a man or woman showing up for the meeting.”

With her drive and pluck, her career took off. Soon, Morgan Hill and the surrounding communities were full of “Home for Sale” signs with her moniker placed atop the sign: “Ask for Pat.” She was a tough but fair businesswoman who quietly mentored others.

In her later years, and after her divorce, she enjoyed spending time with her friends and family and traveling. She used to laugh and say, “I could have fun in a brown paper bag.” Many of her trips involved her love of astronomy. She witnessed four full eclipses of the sun and numerous other astronomical events around the globe.

She is survived by her son, William Denney, and her daughter, Mary Griffith (Richard). When Mary and Richard married, Pat assumed the beloved role as “grandma” to Richard’s child, Taylor, who was 9 at the time of their marriage.

Pat is survived by Taylor Griffith (Cheri) and their two children, as well as Taylor’s older sister, Caroline Griffith, and her three children. Pat is also survived by her “favorite” niece, Kathryn Vuillemot, “favorite” nephew Andy Schmitz and several other beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Mercedes Vuillemot. Patsy (“the Itty Bitty” Vuillemot girl) was also preceded in death by her two older sisters, Mercedes Terrell and Mary Jane Leete, as well as her younger brother Emile Vuillemot.

Our family extends a special thank you to her loving caregivers, Ligaya (Grace) Monez, Jesusa Madueno, Helen Soriano and Felicitas (Lyn) Elefante, The Burlingame Senior Home, Proprietor Faye Ehsanipour and Elizabeth Landzverk, M.D. for their loving care and support during her final years.

Patsy Ruth Denney left this world peacefully with her daughter by her side September 14, 2026 at her home in Burlingame, CA. She was a loyal and dear friend, a strict confidant and deeply patriotic. She will be deeply missed by many.

There will be a celebration of her life at Lima-Campagna-Johnson Funeral Home October 29 at 11am in Morgan Hill, CA and she will be laid to rest with her sister, Mary Jane Leete, at the Memorial Park Cemetery in New Iberia, LA.