Patricia "Tish" Epling

Patricia “Tish” Marie Epling, age 62, left this earth on March 11, 2022. She was born in Riverdale MD on February 27, 1960 to Virginia Epling. Tish met her love and life-partner of 44 years, James “Jimmy” Steadman at Parkdale High School, where, in 1981 she proudly walked across the stage to receive her diploma. They shared a home in Riverdale with their Rottweiler, Vodka.

Tish loved spending time with her step-father and Jimmy, watching scary movies, football, going to concerts and eating Italian food (Mexican was a runner-up)! She loved butterflies and all things purple. She had a great memory and loved to recount stories about her family and friends. Always a free spirit, eager to explore new places…especially the beach, the West Coast, Las Vegas, New York, Florida and the Carolinas. Recently she traveled by train to North Carolina to be with her family for a celebration of life. It was thrilling to her riding side-car on Jimmy’s motorcycle. Exciting moments… she rode a horse, she co-piloted a plane over Crater lake and Mount St. Helens just weeks before it erupted and enjoyed swimming lessons & being in the water. She looked forward to dressing up at Halloween, going to parties where she could show off her wheelchair-dancing skills, always the life of the party! Teaching her newfound brother about mom’s Italian recipes was a joy. She didn’t let her unique abilities stop her from living life. Some of her favorite things to do were painting, (especially butterflies), craft projects & cooking. She will be missed most for her sense of humor, her strength & her playful nature.

Tish is survived by her life-partner Jimmy Steadman, her brother, Richard Bates of Lafayette, LA and her good friend Juli Hawkins. She was predeceased by her mother, Virginia Epling, her step-father James McGee, her sister, Phyllis Jean Cipriano and her brother Charles Epling.

There will be a visitation at Gasch’s Funeral Home 4739 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, MD 20781 on Thursday, March 17, between 6:00pm-8:00pm. Funeral services will be Friday, March 18 at 1:00 pm. at Resurrection Cemetery 8000 Woodyard Rd., Clinton, MD 20735. Please gather at Gasch’s at 12:00 noon for the procession to the cemetery. Condolences may be expressed on their website at www.gaschs.com

The family would like to thank all of the healthcare professionals for their kind and compassionate care over the years, especially her dear friend, Fatima. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice.