Changes

Involved in various business enterprises over the years, Brister was for a time the chief executive officer and chairman of the trustees of Orion College, a James Kirk diploma mill which operated in Mandeville from 1997 to 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/6043872-1.html|title=Orion College Opens|date=January 25, 2001|publisher=Allbusiness.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name=fhfb/>

Involved in various business enterprises over the years, Brister was for a time the chief executive officer and chairman of the trustees of Orion College, a James Kirk diploma mill which operated in Mandeville from 1997 to 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/6043872-1.html|title=Orion College Opens|date=January 25, 2001|publisher=Allbusiness.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name=fhfb/>

Brister was married to Joseph Stanley "Joe" Brister, Jr. (1933-2017), a New Orleans native who established Brister-Stephens, Inc., an air conditioning and heating company, of which she was the former vice president.  Her children from a previous marriage are Jill Beck Heebe, Matthew Beck, Mark Beck, Kenneth Beck, and stepson, Steven Clark Beck (1962-2010) of Destrehan in St. Charles Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tributes.com/show/Steven-Brister-88039253|title=Steven Brister obituary|publisher=Tributes.com|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name=wwltv>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/northshore/ex-st-tammany-parish-president-pat-brister-has-died/289-2cb82444-c457-4aa7-9b15-b775f45dae75|title=Former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister has died: "Parish President Brister was a role model, mentor, and trailblazer for women in Louisiana politics," a family spokesperson said.|publisher=WWL-TV ([[CBS]]) in [[New Orleans]]|author=Dominic Massa|date=February 3, 2020|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref> She is a [[Presbyterian]]. Her political interest was initially fueled by the Parent-Teacher Association. She was formerly the executive director of the Northshore Business Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1012corridor.com/news/2009/apr/30/25-most-powerful-people-corridor/|title=Pat Brister: Executive Director, Northshore Business Council|publisher=1012corridor.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name=wwwltv/>​

Brister was married to Joseph Stanley "Joe" Brister, Jr. (1933-2017), a New Orleans native who established Brister-Stephens, Inc., an air conditioning and heating company, of which she was the former vice president.  Her children from a previous marriage are Jill Beck Heebe, Matthew Beck, Mark Beck, Kenneth Beck, and stepson, Steven Clark Beck (1962-2010) of Destrehan in St. Charles Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tributes.com/show/Steven-Brister-88039253|title=Steven Brister obituary|publisher=Tributes.com|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name=wwltv>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/northshore/ex-st-tammany-parish-president-pat-brister-has-died/289-2cb82444-c457-4aa7-9b15-b775f45dae75|title=Former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister has died: "Parish President Brister was a role model, mentor, and trailblazer for women in Louisiana politics," a family spokesperson said.|publisher=WWL-TV ([[CBS]]) in [[New Orleans]]|author=Dominic Massa|date=February 3, 2020|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref>

 

Brister is a [[Presbyterian]]. Her political interest was initially fueled by the Parent-Teacher Association. She was formerly the executive director of the Northshore Business Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1012corridor.com/news/2009/apr/30/25-most-powerful-people-corridor/|title=Pat Brister: Executive Director, Northshore Business Council|publisher=1012corridor.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name=wwwltv/>​

Brister died on February 3, 2020 after a brief battle with [[cancer]], which she had previously overcome. Her death came only three weeks after leaving office as parish president.<ref name=wwltv/>>{{cite web |url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/northshore/ex-st-tammany-parish-president-pat-brister-has-died/289-2cb82444-c457-4aa7-9b15-b775f45dae75|title=Former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister has died:  Parish President Brister "was a role model, mentor, and trailblazer for women in Louisiana politics," a family spokesperson said.|author=Dominic Massa |publisher=WWL-TV ([[CBS]]) in [[New Orleans]]|date=February 3, 2020|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref>​

Brister died on February 3, 2020 after a brief battle with [[cancer]], which she had previously overcome. Her death came only three weeks after leaving office as parish president.<ref name=wwltv/>>{{cite web |url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/northshore/ex-st-tammany-parish-president-pat-brister-has-died/289-2cb82444-c457-4aa7-9b15-b775f45dae75|title=Former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister has died:  Parish President Brister "was a role model, mentor, and trailblazer for women in Louisiana politics," a family spokesperson said.|author=Dominic Massa |publisher=WWL-TV ([[CBS]]) in [[New Orleans]]|date=February 3, 2020|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref>​