Richard J. Patterson M.D.

Richard Joseph Patterson passed away peacefully on April 20, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on January 27, 1931 in Harrisburg, PA. He was the son of the late Nathaniel J. Patterson and Stella Fahey Patterson. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Mary Eleanor Clement Patterson, to whom he was married for 65 years. He also is survived by his children, Mary Pat Lavery (Frank) of Dillsburg, PA, Richard Patterson (Paige) of Winchester, VA, and Joseph Patterson (Kellie) of Raleigh, NC. They have 6 grandchildren—Mary Brigh (Alec), Frank (Samantha), and Richard Lavery, and Stephen (Meg), Matthew, and Daniel Patterson—and one great-granddaughter, Mary Claire.

He graduated from Harrisburg Catholic High School (Bishop McDevitt) in 1948; it was there that he met his wife, the love of his life. He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and the Skull and Key Society (Black Hats). He served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corp. from 1952 to 1954.

He then attended Temple University Medical School from 1954 to 1958, and he was a member of the Babcock Surgical Society. Between his junior and senior year of medical school, he married his high school sweetheart. He did his internship at Harrisburg Hospital from 1958 to 1959. His internship was followed by his residency, where he completed a Mayo Clinic Fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery from 1959 to 1964. During his training, he also received a Master’s degree in Orthopedic Surgery from the University of Minnesota. He also received specialized training in hand surgery. He published his Master’s thesis—“Idiopathic Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head”—which he also presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery annual meeting in 1963 and was published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in 1964.

He practiced orthopedics in the Harrisburg area from 1964 to 1996. While he started as a sole practitioner, his practice grew over the years and eventually he retired from the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania. He had medical privileges and practiced at Holy Spirit Hospital and Harrisburg Hospital. He was a member of the Temple University Medical School, Orthopedic Surgery Department, where he was in charge of resident training at Holy Spirit Hospital from 1976 to 1993. He was particularly proud of being able to bring Temple Orthopedic residents to Holy Spirit, not only to train them but also to provide care to patients in his community. During his time at Holy Spirit Hospital, he was Chief of Orthopedic Surgery for 17 years. He was also President of Medical Staff in 1978 as well as President of the Dauphin County Medical Society in 1981. He served as an instructor in Anatomy for 2 years at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, PA. He was certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons, and he subsequently received voluntary recertification in later years. He was also happy to serve as the team doctor at Trinity High School for many years.

After retiring from the practice of medicine, he became a founding director of the Pennsylvania State Bank, which was eventually acquired by PNC Bank, N.A. He was selected as one of the 150 Founders Day Legacy contributors of Harrisburg, PA in 2010, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Harrisburg. He was an active parishioner of Good Shepherd Catholic Church. He was a member of the West Shore Country Club for over 50 years. He enjoyed playing golf and cheering on his grandchildren at various sporting events. He loved traveling with his wife; and, most of all, he was happiest spending time with her, his family, and friends.

A mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Camp Hill, PA. Visitation will be held at the church immediately preceding the mass from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to his church or to Hospice of Central PA. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Richard’s wonderful caregivers.