Pat Cheek
Pat Cheek, born in 1939, hails from Houston, Texas. As a teen, she attended Milby High School, which was segregated. She relocated to Denton in 1957 to study education at Texas Woman’s University. While attending TWU, she met her husband, Bill Cheek. Mr. and Ms. Cheek married and Ms. Cheek left school after a year to start a family. The Cheeks had four children. In 1962, she returned to school, this time attending North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). She earned her degree in English from NTSU in 1965. After graduating, she worked as a middle school teacher and a substitute teacher in Denton Independent School District and later Northwest Independent School Districts until her retirement in 2002. Ms. Cheek has long been involved in the community of Denton. She joined the Denton Women’s Interracial Fellowship when it began, and served as a co-chairperson of the organization in the 1960s. She assisted with the Denton Christian Preschool and was a member of the Women’s Political Caucus and the League of Women Voters. She ran for city council in 1977, and served as the chair of the Denton Parks and Recreation Board. She has been a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church since its founding in 1960. Currently, Ms. Cheek remains active in numerous organizations, including Denton County Friends of the Family, the Salvation Army, the Greater Denton Arts Council, the Liberal Ladies Luncheon League, and the Grandparents in Public Schools program.