Patsy Ramsey, or Patricia Ann Ramsey (nee: Paugh), better known as JonBenet Ramsey, was an American beauty pageant winner. She was a beautiful and outgoing teenager who, at the age of 20, entered and won the “Miss West Virginia Pageant 1977”.
To date, she is remembered as the mother of JonBenet Ramsey, a child beauty pageant winner found dead in the Ramsey family home in Boulder, Colorado. Many people still think of her as a loving and doting mother, who faced the tragic and heart-breaking loss of her child. She and her husband, John Ramsey, were also suspects in the murder of their daughter but later exonerated.
She died on June 24, 2006 from ovarian cancer.
Height and Weight
Patsy Ramsey was an attractive woman. Her height was 5’7, but her weight was unavailable. She secured the 1977 Miss West Virginia title with her good looks and charming ways.
Early Life & Education
Patsy Ramsey was born on December 29, 1956, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, to mother Nedra Ellen Ann (née Rymer), a homemaker, and father Donald Ray Paugh, an engineer at Union Carbide.
She was among the popular students at her high school, Parkersburg High School, which she graduated from in 1975. She attended West Virginia University and completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1978. She aspired to become a journalist but became a homemaker after her marriage to John Ramsey.
Career
Patsy Ramsey was an outgoing and extroverted person. She was beautiful and charismatic. She entered the “Miss West Virginia” beauty pageant in 1977 and won the title because of her attractive and magnetic personality. She was also rewarded with a trip to Atlantic City, N.J., for the 1977 Miss America contest. Her sister, Pamela Ellen Paugh, followed in her footsteps and won the Miss West Virginia title at age 24 in 1980.
When Patsy Ramsey graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Journalism, she had wanted to pursue a career in journalism, but she moved to Atlanta. Here, she met her future husband, John Bennet Ramsey, who had just started a computer company. Patsy began working as his secretary.
After the death of their daughter, the Ramseys also co-authored a book about their horrific ordeal called The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenet’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth.
Relationship
On November 5, 1980, at 23, Patsy married businessman John Ramsey. He was divorced and had three children from his first marriage to Lucinda Pasch.
John Ramsey was a wealthy businessman and the CEO of a computer company named the ‘Advanced Product Group.’
As a mother, Patsy Ramsey was known to spend all her time in caring for her children. Patsy was a stay at home mom to both her children. She was dedicated and loving.
When she entered her daughter in a children’s beauty pageant and she thoroughly enjoyed it, Patsy became committed to supporting her passion.
Family
Patsy Ramsey’s father was an engineer, and her mother was a homemaker. She grew up with two siblings, Paulette and Pamela. Her younger sister Pamela was also a beauty pageant winner.
After getting married, Patsy and John had two children. Their son Burke Ramsey was born on January 27, 1987. Their second child, daughter JonBenét, was born in Atlanta on August 6, 1990.
1991, the family moved to Boulder, Colorado, as her husband’s business flourished. Patsy entered JonBenet in many child beauty pageants from a very young age. She also won many titles before she was six years old and her unfortunate death.
The murder of JonBenet Ramsey was a crime that enthralled and captivated all of America. The beautiful six-year-old was found dead by a blow to her head and strangulation in a secluded spot in the basement of the family’s home.
Patsy Ramsey was the one to find a murder note, and eventually, both Patsy and John were prime suspects in the murder investigation. But they were later acquitted for lack of evidence.
Net Worth
Patsy Ramsey married John Ramsey, an established entrepreneur, CEO, and author. Together, their net worth is estimated at $5 million.
Cause of Death
Ramsey passed of ovarian cancer on June 24, 2006. She was first diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 1993. She received treatment and was in remission for nine years. In 2002, the cancer returned.
She passed away at her parents’ house in Roswell, Georgia. She is buried in St. James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia, next to her daughter JonBenet.
Final Days
After JonBenet’s death, Patsy Ramsey and her family moved to her hometown, Roswell, Georgia. They spent some time there and then moved to Charlevoix, Michigan. She spent her final days in the small town. Here, she felt comfortable and relaxed.
Final Words
Patsy Ramsey spent her life fighting against the allegations of her daughters’ murder. She and her husband were accused of killing their daughter. Only after two years of her death were they both cleared of murder charges.
She never found out who killed her daughter and why. Her final words on her deathbed have been a matter of great curiosity. While there are many speculations about her last words, the truth is that it is not known what they were.
There is no official record of what Patsy Ramsey’s last words were.
Social Media
Many books, TV shows, and movies were made on the infamous JonBenet murder. Various actors on both small and big screens portrayed the Ramsey family.
There were also two MADtv sketches by MargHelgenberger in the mini-series Perfect Murder, Perfect Town in the year 2000, made on this case.
There were many documentaries made on the Ramseys and the murder. The most recent was completed in 2022: Suburban Nightmare: JonBenet Ramsey.
