Patsy G. (Foti) Roberts God always picks the prettiest

Patsy G. (Foti) Roberts God always picks the prettiest flowers. My beautiful beloved wife Patsy died Saturday in hospice at our home surrounded by family who loved her. She was born January 9, 1956 in Columbus, GA to LtCol Sam Foti and Eva Wallen MD. After the family moved to Corrales, NM she decided at an early age to pursue an equine career, and she was one of the most gifted horsewomen I have ever known. She was a National and International competitor and trained innumerable National champions in all breeds and disciplines, as well as mentoring scores of future youth and adult exhibitors. We met as youth exhibitors showing Quarter and Palomino horses in the early seventies, fell in love and were engaged twice, but she left NM to pursue her dream of national competition. She was the 1975 AQHA Reserve All-Around Youth Champion of the United States. She never looked back and managed several horse farms throughout the country. Decades later, we reconnected after I won a large Hunter class where her vet-tech son was administering a drug test on a borrowed horse I was riding at a large horse show in Tucson. One thing led to another and several years later in 2012 we were married on horseback at my farm in Albuquerque, and I rode that same borrowed horse, and her son gave her away. Patsy and I were true soulmates and twin-flames, and we were connected in every way possible. We were inseparable and never lost sight of the miracle of God's gift that was getting us back together after decades apart to share a life together filled with unending love. We chose to never get off of our honeymoon and never lost the simple joy in just holding hands and telling each other "I love you" multiple times every day. Even when her lifelong autoimmune disease (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME) kept her bedbound and unable to do much, we cherished each other's company and never considered it a handicap. She was my rock, my biggest supporter, my confidant, my best friend and the source of my joy. People have said they never saw two people so happy together and so deeply in love. We lived in a house filled with love and were two sides of the same coin. She was a better person than me and being with her made me a better person. We polished each other's rough edges. Her very last words whispered to me on this plane before she passed were "I love you" followed by a little smile. While we both knew her death was inevitable, she fought until her very last breath. While I am devastated and have a gaping hole where my heart was, I take solace in knowing she is finally free from pain and free from the confines of ME, the disease that had controlled and ruined her life. She is probably reunited with many of her horses that have crossed the rainbow bridge before her and riding again in God's heaven. I can only hope that she will have one saddled and waiting for me when it's my time to join her again. Thank you for everything my darling. She is survived by her husband John Roberts, her son Sen Beever and partner Alex Ricci, Stepdaughters Alyson Carey and husband Beau, David and Etta of Albuquerque, NM, Rachelle Yates and husband Glenn and Alexandria, Cheyenne, William and Wyatt of Stilwell, Oklahoma, and Caitlin Roberts of Athens, Georgia. She is also survived by her sister Susan Engelken of Apache Junction, AZ and neice Adrian and wife Savannah of Flagstaff, AZ. Cremation has taken place and while no service is planned, a Celebration of Life is planned later this summer for friends and family. I am especially thankful to her son Sen, his partner Alex and my daughter Alyson who were always there helping me those last few weeks in her hospice at home, I couldn't have gone through this without their help. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Camp Enchantment (campenchantment.org) a free camp for NM children who have or had cancer