Mary Eleanor Patterson passed away peacefully September 25, 2022, surrounded by her loving family and holding the hand of the love of her life, her husband Richard J. Patterson, M.D. She was born on December 10, 1930, in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She was the daughter of the late Joseph L. and Rosamond (Mundy) Clement.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Richard. She is also survived by her 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, and Richard Lavery, and Stephen, Matthew, and Daniel Patterson.
Her family moved to Harrisburg, PA when she was 9 years old. She graduated from Harrisburg Catholic High School (Bishop McDevitt) in 1948. It was in high school where she began her love story with her husband. She graduated from Misericordia University in 1952 and married Richard in 1957.
She was employed as a Dietitian at Harrisburg Hospital, where she also taught Nutrition in the School of Nursing. She then worked at Philadelphia General Hospital. In 1959, she and Richard moved to Rochester, MN where she was employed in the Dietetics Department at the Mayo Clinic. She retired to raise her children.
They returned to Harrisburg in 1965 where she was active in the community. She was a member of the American Dietetic Association, the Committee of Catholic College Women, the Dauphin County Medical Auxiliary, and the Auxiliaries of Harrisburg and Holy Spirit Hospitals, where she served as president and board member. She was particularly proud of her fundraising work for Hospice of Central PA and the Holy Spirit Hospital Street Fair.
She and her husband were parishioners of Good Shepherd Catholic Church. They were also members of the West Shore Country Club for over 50 years. She loved playing golf there and always said the best part of the golf game was lunch afterwards with her friends.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Camp Hill, PA on October 1, 2022. Visitation will be held at the church immediately preceding the mass, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to her church or to Hospice of Central PA. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Mary Eleanor's caregivers over the course of her illness.
