Patsy and Tom Gilbert live in the craftsman style Island Home Boulevard home that Patsy’s grandmother, Helen Kirkpatrick, bought in 1932. Mrs. Kirkpatrick had moved to Knoxville as a lip-reading specialist to work at Tennessee school for the Deaf in 1915. A widow, she moved to our neighborhood when TSD relocated from downtown to the Island Home farm in 1924. Both Patsy’s family and Mrs. Kirkpatrick lived in several IHP homes. In 1932 Patsy’s family shared 2125 Island Home Blvd (photo below)) with Mrs. Kirkpatrick and Ida Ferguson, her sister. Frances Kirkpatrick
Strong and her daughters joined Mrs. Kirkpatrick at 2228 IHB after Patsy’s father died. Patsy Gilbert was a student at South Knoxville Elementary School and graduated from Knoxville High School. She was one of the first art majors at UTK. Vernon C. Gilbert Jr (Tom) grew up close by on Ailsie Drive off Woodlawn Pike.
Octogenarians, the Gilberts have lead very interesting lives. Patsy is a successful painter. Tom was a naturalist in national parks. They lived in Africa, Indonesia and France. Tom worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and was the U.S. Man and the Biosphere program staff coordinator. He is active with the Coalition to Protect Our National Parks. After dozens of moves, the Gilberts retired back to Island Home Park. Mrs. Kirkpatrick’s family, however, continued in the neighborhood through the years the Gilberts lived all over the world. Patsy’s sister Margaret Strong (Peggy), a social work professor at UT, lived on Maplewood Drive. The Gilbert’s daughter, Nancy Gilbert Bandy, lived in several homes before settling into her Aunt Peggy’s house. Grandsons Nathan and Brian Ault grew up here and now Brian’s daughter, Abigail Ault, is right at home in Island Home Park, too. Have you been counting? That’s 90 years of six generations of one family in Island Home Park!
