Typically, attorneys receive recognition and are in the spotlight for their hard work and success. But on Monday, Feb. 15, the focus was on Pat Childress, who was honored during a retirement celebration recognizing her nearly 50 years of committed service with the firm.
A native of Chattanooga, Childress knew at an early age she enjoyed helping people, and she saw administrative support as a good opportunity to do just that. While attending Tyner High School, she enrolled in business and secretarial courses; following graduation, she attended Eddmonson Business School. When Childress completed the program in 1966, the law firm of Miller, Martin, Hitching, Tipton and Lenihan (today known as Miller & Martin) had already offered her a job as a secretary. What she couldn’t have known then was how much of her life would be spent inside the walls of the Volunteer Building, where the firm’s headquarters have been located since the building opened in 1917. During her career, she provided support to over 20 attorneys, and was a part of significant growth and change within the firm.
Those years brought about numerous changes in Childress’ life as well. She became a mother of two sons, Mark, an ER nurse at Parkridge Medical Center, and Eric, an assistant manager at Northern Tool & Equipment. She also discovered an appreciation for traveling, visiting numerous locations throughout the U.S. as well as Hong Kong. And she became a grandmother to Aidan, the son of Mark and daughter-in-law Mary.
The feeling was bittersweet as Childress walked out of the building on her final day, surrounded by co-workers she referred to as “lifelong friends,” but Childress has much to look forward to. As someone who’s passionate about animals, she’s volunteering on the fundraising committee at Tennessee Humane Animal League. She’s also begun mapping out her travel itinerary. And she’s looking forward to spending more time with her grandson and to meeting her second grandchild, scheduled to deliver this summer.
“Miller & Martin would like to thank Childress for her years of service to the firm, and wishes her many years of joy as she begins this next chapter of her life,” the firm said in a press release announcing Childress’ retirement.
Source: Miller & Martin