John A. Patterson, Sr.
John Alexander Patterson, Sr. passed away July, 15, 2025 at around 4:00 p.m.
He was born November 2, 1925 at his family’s ancestral farm on the Three Degree Road near Butler in Penn Township, Pennsylvania. His parents were Alexander William Patterson and Nora Plaisted Patterson.
He attended rural public schools and graduated from Penn Township High School in May of 1943. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadets and entered active duty that fall when he turned eighteen. From early fall 1944 until W.W. II ended in the spring of 1945 he served as a B-17 Flying Fortress Tail Gunner with the 15 th Air Force in Italy, and flew thirty combat missions over Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy.
After the war, Jack attended Michigan State University from 1946 to 1950, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and History, and a Commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Called to active duty for two years in January 1951 he served as Squadron Administrative Officer at Pope Air Force Base, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
In the spring of 1951 he married fellow Michigan State University alum, Barbara. Their union produced one son, John, Jr., and a daughter, Stephanie.
Following his military service, he returned to Michigan to teach High School English and history in Flint and Howell. He received a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from his Alma Mater in 1960. The following year he was hired to teach history by the Berkeley Unified School District, and he and Barbara relocated their family to Berkeley, California.
After twenty years as teacher, counselor, and administrator at Berkeley High School he retired from public education and moved to Santa Barbara, California.
His first marriage ended in divorce in 1984, and in 1989 he married California girl Donna Thomas, whom he met when both worked in real estate for the same company. They spent thirty-three years together enjoying Santa Barbara and traveling to Mexico, Canada, Europe, the U.S.S.R, Hawaii, China, and many parts of the United States.
Jack is preceded in death by his wife, Donna, brothers, William, James, and sisters, Geraldine, and Mary Elizabeth
He is survived by his beloved children, John, Jr. (Toni), Stephanie (Pell), grandchildren Meghann (Anthony), John (Katie), William, Maureen (Jerry), and ten great-grandchildren.
Jack was a member of the Sierra Club, the Military Order of the World Wars, Al’s Squadron, and the First Congregational Church of Santa Barbara.
A celebration of life will be held at First Congregational Church of Santa Barbara at a future date yet to be announced.
