Gump, Patricia
Patricia Gump passed peacefully, at age 92, surrounded by her family on April 27, 2025. She was born in Shelby, Ohio to Arthur and Laura (Karg) Love, and enjoyed a happy childhood in northern Ohio. Patricia earned a bachelor's degree in social work from The Ohio State University and worked for the American Red Cross as a caseworker. She then returned to Ohio State to earn a master's degree in psychology and work as a head resident and assistant to the dean of women. In 1957, she was united in marriage with W. Robert Gump, a union that lasted 57 years until his death in 2014.
Patricia and her husband came to Oxford in 1962 and embraced this lovely community as their home. She held several roles at Miami University, including working with affirmative action, The Scripps Foundation Gerontology Center, and Continuing Education. Within the Oxford community, she was active with Head Start, Oxford Bikeway, Butler County Council on Aging, League of Women Voters, Oxford Senior Center, and the McGuffey Museum. She had a lifelong dedication to social services for the elderly as well as the professional development of women.
Patricia will be remembered for her boundless curiosity, perceptiveness, and kindness. She found great joy in conversations with people she met, in traveling and hiking, spending time with her family, and watching the birds and butterflies visit her flower gardens. She was an avid reader and lifelong scholar. And during football season, she could always be found clothed in scarlet and gray, cheering for her Ohio State Buckeyes.
Patricia is survived by her three children, David (Tamara) Gump, Laurie (Jorge) Melson, and Timothy (Laura) Gump, as well as her grandchildren, Christopher Gump, Matthew (Olivia) Gump, Daniel Melson, William Melson, Aiden Gump, and Sophia Gump; beloved niece, Constance Anderton, and nephew, David S. Gump; and her cherished cousin, Arnold Pierson. She was preceded in death by her parents and beloved husband, Robert Gump.
A private memorial service will be held by her family in the Tennessee mountains that she loved. Memorial donations may be made to Oxford Seniors (https://www.oxfordsenior.org) or to Smokies Life, a nonprofit supporting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (https://smokieslife.org). see www.paulyoungfuneralhome.com