Donald Marvin Patterson

Donald passed away in Santa Clara, CA after a brief hospitalization. The son of Clay Isaac Patterson and Dortha Marie Palmer Patterson, Donald was born in Portland Oregon. Donald’s sister Dolores Patterson Nuss Casey (2-15-28 – 8-19-69) and their parents were travelling with a carnival along the west coast where his parents worked as entertainers.

Soon after Donald’s birth, the family settled in Long Beach where his mother worked as a waitress. Don’s father Clay built and ran a radio station in Tijuana, XEMO.

The family moved to Great Falls Montana where Donald attended third grade. He kept in touch with his teacher, Effie Nobel until she passed away. He said she taught him more that year than he learned either before or afterwards.

Donald’s father abandoned the family in Great Falls and his parents divorced. Later, his mother remarried and the family moved for a period of time to Southern California where he attended Whittier High School.

Moving back to Montana with the family again to farm, Donald graduated from Great Falls High School in 1949

As an Airman Second Class in both the Air National Guard and the Air Force, Donald said he was proud of the small part he played in the historic integration of the armed forces. As a Corporal, he had to demonstrate leadership and as a result his unit integrated with no issues. He was stationed for a time in Biloxi, MS and then later in Valdosta, GA, working primarily as a radio operator.

Donald attended the University of Montana where he met his future wife, Diane Davis of Bozeman, MT. She was attending business school in Missoula. They married in Bozeman in 1953. Donald liked to tell a story that he met Diane in a bar and her foot was stuck in a spittoon. In reality it was a Moose Lodge Dance and they danced that night to “The Tennessee Waltz”.

Diane and Donald settled in Upland, CA during the early days of their marriage and Donald attended Chaffey College while Diane worked for the Air Force. Later they relocated to Berkeley, CA where Donald attended UC Berkeley while Diane worked for the Air Force in Oakland. Diane likes to say that she worked hard typing up the pedigree paperwork for the commanding officer’s Brittney Spaniels.

While attending UC Berkeley, Don and Diane’s daughter Dustin was born in 1956. Donald worked while going to school and his grades were suffering. Upon Dustin’s birth, Don offered one of his professors a cigar that turned him down stating “If I accept your cigar it will appear that I condone your behavior”. Donald was able to make it through and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronic Engineering from UC Berkeley in 1957.

Don and Diane’s daughter Debra was born in 1958 and shortly after her birth they bought their first home in Sunnyvale. In 1963 daughter Donnell was born.

Throughout his career, Donald worked for various Bay Area engineering firms, Varian and Ampex, Diasonics, Spectra Physics, HP to name a few. He worked as an Independent mechanical and electronic design engineer for many years and his company was named D.M. Patterson and Associates. His daughters were taught to sort resistors from a very early age. Diane kept the books and did the billing.

Donald was a certified scuba diver and he shared the love of this sport with his daughters and friends. He learned to free dive and loved to go abalone diving and spear fishing off the Mendocino Coast. He and Diane sailed the San Francisco Bay, South America, The Bahamas, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, and Hawaii. Summers when the girls were young were often spent camping with family and friends, driving to Montana for visits.

Donald was a licensed HAM radio operator and maintained his skills in the area of radio operation and use of Morse code. He operated under the call sign KK6JI. When his daughters were young, Donald would sign off the evening with Morse code and the girls would respond at bedtime in a verbal Morse code saying “Good Night”. He was a life member of The American Radio Relay League and a life member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He received a certificate of recognition from The National Association for Amateur Radio Operators for over 50 years of membership.

The Patterson’s have many friends in the Hawaiian community on the Peninsula. They were involved with Hui Illima and Donald played the ukulele, learned some of the Hawaiian language and hula dancing.

Don and Diane moved to Willow Glen in 2011.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and his niece Beth and nephew Richard.

Don is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Diane. His daughters, Dustin Keene (Tim), Debra van Hulsteyn (Dave), Donnell Patterson (Steve Hill), Grandchildren Heather, Colleen, Sean, Alicia, Richard, Kian, Sarah, Elaine, Michel, Erica and Serese, Great-grandchildren Orion, Luna, Isabel, Great Nieces and Nephews Chad Bickle, Tracee-Reiter-Wells, Sean Reiter, Daniel Chapin, Marnie Bickle.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Foundation. www.ieee.org/donate. Email [email protected] and designate donation in memory of Donald M. Patterson. Checks may be mailed to IEEE Foundation, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854 attention E. Goldman.

Memorial Services to celebrate Don will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013 at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 North Winchester Boulevard, Santa Clara, California at 11:00AM.