Patricia Evelyn Howe Suter, better known as Pat Suter, died on Dec. 10, 2024.
She was 98.
The Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge was named after Pat Suter and her husband, Hans Albert Suter. Her husband died in 1984.
The Suters were local environmentalists who fought to keep the area on Ennis Joslin Road free of development. In 1986, the 22 acres along the Cayo del Oso underwent some improvements, including an 800-foot boardwalk over the marshlands and a 3,500-foot-long hike and bike trail connecting the birding area of the park with a recreational area featuring picnic tables and a playground.
The spot was originally renamed the Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area before it was rededicated as the Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge in 2011.
Pat Suter looks through the telescope to observe some birds along the Cayo del Oso during the dedication ceremonies of the Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area on May 5, 1987.
Pat Suter was a chemistry professor at Del Mar College for 26 years and was involved in several nonprofits including the Coastal Bend Sierra Club, Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend Bays Foundation, Corpus Christi Botanical Society and the Coastal Bend Audubon Society.
Linda Fuiman, education chairwoman for the Coastal Bend Audubon Society, wrote in a post on the nonprofit’s Facebook that Pat Suter’s “incredible impact on the Corpus Christi community, especially in the field of birding and environmental conservation, will never be forgotten.”
“I first met Pat at an Audubon Outdoor Club meeting back in the early 1990s, and we quickly became friends, bonding over our shared love for birds and nature,” Fuiman said in the post. “Fast forward a number of years, and I bumped into Pat one blazing hot summer day at Hans & Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge, where I was teaching a Birding 101 class for kids. … Pat was absolutely thrilled to see the park being used to educate and inspire the next generation in birding, wildlife, and conservation.”
A celebration of life will held at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 19.
Pat Suter’s family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to a charity of the donor’s choice.
RELATED COVERAGE
More: #TBT: Corpus Christi’s Suter Wildlife Refuge holds ancient history and vital ecosystem
More: Corpus Christi officials to open overnight shelter Friday amid freeze watch
John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Bluesky @johnpoliva.bsky.social.
Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi environmentalist Patricia ‘Pat’ Suter dead at 98