I think Southern Charm’s Patricia Altschul may be the most popular character on the hit Bravo show. The 73-year-old socialite is a straight shooter with a serious pedigree and a ton of clout to throw around her current home of Charleston, South Carolina.
Parents and Early Life
She is an only child, born Patricia Madelyn Dey April 16th, 1941 to Francis Pearl Sudler Dey and Walter Pettus Dey in Jacksonville. Pat grew up in Richmond, Virginia.
Education
Patricia attended Marymount School a private Catholic college preparatory school. She also attended Olney Friends School and George Washington University, where she graduated with a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in 1964.
In 1965 at age 24 she got a masters degree in Art History and Archaeology (interesting because in 1962 at age 21 she married Whitney’s father Lon Hayes Smith.)
Son
She lives with her only child– 46 year old son, a filmmaker, classically trained guitarist, and Executive Producer of the show, Whitney Sudler-Smith in the 9,480-square-foot Mikell House (although Whitney does live part of the year in Los Angeles, California). In 2008, she bought the historic mansion built in 1851 in downtown Charleston for $4.8 million.
I LOVE Patricia for preserving and restoring a historic home. Historic preservation is a big passion of mine. So props to Pat for bringing attention to this great cause!
Ex Husbands
Patricia is very very wealthy as you can imagine. Most of the money comes from her deceased husband Arthur Altschul, who died in 2002 at age 81. The two were married in 1996. It was the fourth marriage for Arthur.
Arthur came from a long line of money. His father was also a banker and his mother, Helen Altschul, was the niece of Herbert Lehman whose father Mayer Lehman was co-founder of Lehman Brothers, and U.S. senator and governor of New York.
But in 1989 prior to Arthur, Patricia lived in Washington and married prominent D.C. psychiatrist Dr. Ed Fleming. Whitney was actually born in Washington D.C. and brought up in Virginia. He graduated from Georgetown Day School and George Washington University (like his mom).
And prior to Ed in 1962 she married Whitney Sudler-Smith’s father, Lon Hayes Smith and lived in Falls Church, Virginia.
Pat is an art collector and philanthropist in her own right.
More on the mysterious identity of Whitney Sudler Smith’s father.
Who are Patricia Altschul’s ex-husbands?
Who is Whitney Sudler Smith’s new 21-year-old girlfriend?
Push the button! Please!
Do tell how In the world YOU are responsible for the show’s ratings? Who in the hell are you? I don’t know anyone from the show and I watch. My daughter watches.
If you believe anybody gives a crap about the truth behind Patricia’s marriages and divorce settlements you are crazy! We like her personality and outrageous behavior! She is obviously a poser! That’s what makes her so fun!
It’s a bravo show. Meant to be a guilty pleasure. Charleston looks beautiful on the show. The rest is made up drama. Chill out! But do push that mysterious button first.
Wow! Dishy and trashy, two of my absolute favs! I love how the women are battling it out while the “gentlemen” in question are resting in peace.
Anyone who knew Pat and Whitney from their DC days knows the hilarity behind the show’s theme. Their television show is less factual, and more plotted, crafted, & engineered than an episode of The Simpsons. UN-Reality Television at its best. Pat’s net-worth was SO in the red she had to f**k old man Altschul to stay afloat.
PUSH IT!
Hi Whitney! Looks like you had to stick u for mommy dearest.
Wow…madoff with Robert E. Lee’s hair..
I’d like to set the record straight regarding Patricia Altschul. She was born in Sarasota, Florida. She lived in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband Lon Hayes Smith, her son Whitney’s father. “Southerly” the Altschul estate on Long Island, was featured in a past issue of Architectual Digest. One of rooms photographed was the Library. Over the fireplace hung a portrait of Pocohantas. In the article Patricia boasted to Aileen Miele, (the author of the piece,) that she was a descendant of the Native American princess. This is a BOLD FACED LIE! She’d stolen the painting, as well as the bed where Robert E Lee was born. She also absconded with a number of silouettes which hang in the Charleston house. It did not stop here. She also managed to steal furniture, art and silver. Amongst all the other things, she also took a brooch pin which contains a lock of hair from the baby Robert E Lee. You see, her third husband, Ed FLEMING was a direct descendant of both Pocohantas and Robert E Lee. The locket of hair had belonged to Ed’s grandmother. Patricia had worn it to the Sporting Library in Middleburg, Va., claiming that the confederate general was her ancestor. Ed had been out of the country when Patricia wiped him out! When he found out, he was devastated. Realizing all of his family heirlooms were gone, he appealed to Patricia, who was now with Arthur Altschul, her fourth husband. When she refused, he and his lawyer proposed that she keep the possessions for the duration of her life and upon her death they resort back to the FLEMING family. She wouldn’t hear of it! In reality, Patricia Altschul, as GRAND as she’d like to believe she is, she’s nothing more than a poseur, who happened to have married well. According to the Architectual Digest featuring her Charleston mansion, it states that the house is filled with family heirlooms. This is true, just not her family. More to come!
Wow, talk about an attack from someone with no credibility!
This silly comment is riddled with factual errors, but consider the source. Suzanne Kent Cooke was 31 when she married 74-year-old Jack Kent Cooke for 73 days (do the math – he was 43 years older than she was), and got pregnant so she could work around their prenuptial agreement by hitting him up for child support, even though she had promised not to get pregnant. She then sued him for $15 million!!
Then Suzanne Elizabeth Martin became “Suzanne Kent Cooke” — she took his last name AND his middle name just so everyone would know WHICH Cooke she had been briefly married to.
Have you ever heard of any other married woman doing that?
Every fact she cites about Pat Altschul is wrong as far as I know. The property settlement with Ed Fleming was negotiated by their respective lawyers and settled in the divorce agreement. It’s none of Suzanne “Kent Cooke”‘s business.
Mrs. Altschul was one of the most respected dealers in American painting when she was younger. She has been elected to lots of serious boards like the Metropolitan Museum, Rockefeller Brothers Fund (Hudson River Trust), and the Gibbs Museum. She has enormous credibility, unlike “Suzanne Kent Cooke” who is a cheap hussy and the real poseur.
THIS COMMENT IS COMING FROM SOME POOR SOUL WHO IS ON PATSEY’S PAYROLL. SURE SHE IS A QUICK STUDY AND PLOT AND PLANNED HER WAY INTO A SOCIEY, SHE ALWAYS DREAMED OF . AT LEAST I KNOW WHERE I CAME FROM, AND MY FAMILY DIDNT HAVE TO STEAL OTHERS HEIRLOOMS.
ALL OF THAT GRUFF U READ IN SCANDEL SHEETS , IS WAY OFF TRACK.FIRST OF ALL I HAD BEENN W/ JKC FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE WE MARRIED.SECOND MY FAMILY HAD ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR FARMS IN MIDDLEBURG WHERE INTERNATIONAL VELVET WAS FILMED WITH TATUM O’ NEIL .
AND U SHOULD THANK ME FOR S.C. RATINGS.
IF PATSEY WANTS TO DEFEND HER NAME ALL SHE HAS TO DO IS SHOW US THE DIVORSE DECREE WHERE ED FLEMING LEFT ALL HIS HEIRLOOMS TO HER
BECAUSE WE WERE AT EDS DEATH BED AND HE KNEW HE HAD BEEN TAKEN BY THE BIGGEST CONS
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU KEEP THHAT FOUL MOUTH SHUT OR I WILL START EMAILING ALL PATS LAWSUITS AND DOCUMENTS THAT WILL KEEP MAKE HER HAIR STAND UP FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES OF SC……
SO ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOUR MOUTH I WILL DEFINATLY PULL THE TRIGGER!!!!!
TELL YOUR OLD FRIEND PATSEY THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!!!
I AM READY TO PUT EVERY DIRTY DEAL SHE HAS DONE AND BETTER YET MAKE IT GO VIRAL
AND PDSFA KNOWS I WILL NOT JUST PULL THE TRIGGER IT WILL BE MORE LIKE THROWING A FEW HANGERNADES
ONE MORE COMMENT LIKE THAT AND SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE HER HOUSE
AS ALL IT TAKES IS THE PUSSH OF A BUTTON. AND SHE CAN HOLD U RESPONSIBLE FOR HER QUICK DEMMISE !!!!!!
DO YOU UNDERSTAND, OR SHOULD I PUSH THE BOTTON NOW?
Suzanne
Please use the ‘spell check’ option on your device 😉
Not necessary honey….we got it, lmao! I’m loving this!
Believe I’d call off my dogs, lmao!