Fort Spring-William “Lee” Patterson, 69, passed away from a long illness at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016.
Lee was born June 19, 1947, in Henderson, WV, the son of Oden Austin of Gallipolis, OH and the late Eleanor Jane Austin.
He was a resident of Fort Spring for 48 years, loved the Lord, was a former deacon of the Ronceverte Christian Church and a Baptized member of the Fort Spring Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Patterson was a u.s. Army veteran and a member since 1973 of the Shryock Masonic Lodge in Ronceverte and current member of the Monroe Lodge in Union. He began his working years as a journeyman tree trimmer, deckhand on the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, Superintendent of an Asphalt Plant and a Heavy Equipment Operator on Strip Mines. Lee was an avid gunsmith for years and a knife collector extraordinare. His greatest accomplishment was his passion for baseball, where he took a team of “Bad News Bears” to championship games and was a chief umpire for the Alderson Little League.
Surviving are his wife of 49 1/2 years, Peggy Davis Patterson; their children, Tami (Marc) Toler with children, Brennan, Cody, Kylee and Dylan of Virginia Beach, VA; Jill (Craig) Brown with children, Ty and McKynlee of Fort Spring; Brad (Jeri) Patterson with children, Gavin, Kyler, Courtney and Abbie of Fort Spring and Roger Bennett who was like a son; siblings, Mike Austin, Holley Duncan, Drema Miller, Terry Austin, Cassie Austin and Scott Austin.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, at 11 a.m. at the Fort Spring Missionary Church with Pastors Ronald Cobb and Rick Duncan officiating.
Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in Lewisburg is in charge of arrangements. Please send online condolences by visiting www.WallaceandWallaceFH.com.