Alton Dale Patten

FORT WORTH -- Alton Dale Patten,longtime Tandy Corp. Exec., passed away Saturday, Jan. 30,2016. A Memorial Service and Celebration Meal to be held Friday, at 11:30 AM at Meadowbrook United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. Burial: Private, in Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation: Thursday evening, from 5 to 7 PM at Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Home. The family request donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, to American Parkinson's Disease Association, or to Meadowbrook United Methodist Church, in lieu of flowers. Al called East Fort Worth home for many years. By no means did his calm and heroic battle with Parkinson's Disease at the end, overshadow the other amazing chapters in his wonderful life. Never have the hallmarks of a person's life been so clearly definable, as those in the life of Alton Dale Patten. Quite simply, his focus on faith and family, may truly be all the biographical references required. However, we will add that “Al” was born in Malakoff. on August 18, 1933, and left to join his family and friends that preceded him, on January 30, 2016. Born the 5th baby in a loving but competitive household, growing up around the coal mines of East Texas and the shipyards of Houston, around the gangs at Paschal High School, and the tough boot camp of the Army, stationed in the high desert of Fort Bliss near El Paso, he certainly was a sum of experiential variety. Let us imagine that out of some pretty tough personal times, was born the first hallmark of faith. From the hottest furnace and the stroke of the hammer comes the finest steel, but no one can do it alone, and Al's faith in God literally saved his life. The love of his young life, Caroline Sue Kennedy, married and followed him to the Army in El Paso. After the honor of serving his country, Al and Sue moved back to Fort Worth, living close to and becoming immersed in the second hallmark, his family. Sundays were spent with his sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews. Al and Sue raised sons, Rusty and Bryan, and daughter Sheryl. They set about making a life for the ones they loved. Applying himself with conviction and dedication, Al, started in the warehouse for Dave and Charles Tandy, and eventually retired as the President of American Handicrafts, a Tandy Corp. subsidiary with 297 retail outlets in 47 states, and was active in the meteoric growth of Tandy Corporation's other interests, such as Radio Shack, which Tandy Corp. took from 8 stores in Boston, to grow to more than 7,000 retail facilities world wide. Amazingly, even in the Tandy Corp. days, he always found time for his church family, holding positions of leadership such as Charge Layleader, Chairman of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, Finance Chair, etc. Al was even a Scout Master for the local Boy Scouts Troop. Upon his retirement, he leveraged his experience in finance and investments, to assist many of his friends in navigating the complex paths to successful estate planning. Al garnered great satisfaction in helping others, in a variety of ways. He enjoyed many happy, satisfying years with friends in Rotary and the Eastside Optimist, serving his community. Again, that hallmark of faith was seen shining through.

Al is survived by his wife of 65 years, Sue Patten; his son Rusty Patten and wife Kimberly, his son Bryan Patten; daughter, Sheryl Wood and husband Ray. Al enjoyed a host of nieces and nephews; grandchildren, John Patten and fiancé Jenna Newman, Travis Patten and wife Courtney, Abby Patten, Benjamin Wood, Carrie Wood, Kimberly Milne and husband Evan Milne, and their son, Al's beloved great-grandchild, Carson Milne. At six months old, Carson was the best Parkinson's medicine prescribed. A special thank you to the caregivers from Senior Helpers and Town Hall Estates. Thanks be to God for a life well lived.