Jean Birch Patterson

Born in Ironton, Ohio, January 16, 1923, she was a daughter of the late Charles H. Birch and Helen Virginia Hall Myers.

After graduation from Ironton High School, Jean visited a cousin in New Hope, Virginia. While enjoying a church sponsored hayride she met Bill Patterson. They fell in love and eloped to West Virginia to be married. Jean was 17 and too young to legally be married in Virginia. Within 10 years time, Bill and Jean had a full house of five children, Sue, Jerry, Penny, Mendy, and Danny. In the meantime, there was WWII. Bill joined the Navy and was stationed in Honolulu, HI. Jean left Sue and Jerry with Mother in Ironton while she went to work in an airplane factory in Columbus, Ohio. She inspected Rosey the Riveters’ work. After the war, New Hope and then Laurel Hill was home until they moved to Altavista, Virginia. As all five children graduated from Altavista High School, it has always been considered ‘home town’ of the Patterson Family. In Altavista, Jean worked for a while as a telephone operator—before dialing was invented---“Number please”, she said. Soon she began a job inspecting bolts of cloth in a finishing plant across the Staunton River in Hurt. Raising a large family required Bill and Jean to be a two income household. As a member of Altavista Garden Club, Jean began a life-long love of gardening and was awarded Life Membership in Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. She was founder of Friendship Club for Senior Citizens. Bill’s career in the textile industry which began in Laurel Hill, took him to Bogota, Columbia for six months prior to the move to Altavista. Later, Walterboro, SC, and then Coats, NC, were home for Bill and Jean. Jean volunteered at the Colleton County Library in Walterboro. She enjoyed their home in Walterboro—it was her favorite house of all she had owned. After moving to Coats, Jean worked as Circulation Librarian and Substitute Librarian at Dunn Public Library. She continued her volunteer work in a prison ministry in Raleigh, North Carolina. She served as President of Angier Aglow, Angier, North Carolina.

Bill and Jean retired and moved to Vinton, Virginia. Their ten grandchildren were beginning to marry and produce great-grandchildren. There was a joyful celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary in Virginia Beach at the old Cavalier Hotel. April 12, 1991, less than 5 months after the 50th, Bill passed on to Glory. Jean continued to be a blessing to all. She worked in the Roanoke County Library system until she was no longer able. Her service there earned her a place in the Senior Citizen Hall of Fame for Roanoke County.. She was a faithful viewer of Thomas Road Baptist Church where she considered her home church.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, William Randolph Patterson; one son, Timothy Patterson; two brothers, Wayne Birch and Bob Birch and two sisters, Patti Perkins and Ginny Birch.

Survivors include five children; Sue Lumpkin and her husband Chuck of Hardy, Jerry Patterson and his wife Becky and Penny Haynes and her husband Bill all of Roanoke, Mendy Palmer and her husband Neil of Virginia Beach and Danny Patterson and his wife Chris of Richmond; 10 grandchildren, Bert Lumpkin, Chris Lumpkin, Whitney Brock, Randy Patterson, Robert Patterson, Scot Haynes, Mitzi Whitten, Heather Bush, Brian Patterson and Stuart Patterson and 22 great grandchildren; Seth Brock, Drew Brock, Kaity Lumpkin, Elijah Patterson, Trevor Haynes, Nathan Haynes, Aaron Thomas, Alex Rowland, Tyler Whitten, Brandon Whitten, Hannah Whitten, Hollie Haynes, Shannon Parker, Cody Bush, Will Bush, Morgan Buch, Riley Jean Patterson, Lyla Patterson, Leo Patterson, Ella Patterson, Daniel Patterson and Annabelle Patterson.

A service celebrating Jean’s life will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at Oakey’s South Chapel with the Rev. Rick Via officiating. Interment will follow in Sherwood Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 21, 2014 at Oakey’s South Chapel, 4257 Brambleton Ave. Roanoke, VA.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions are asked to consider Thomas Road Baptist Church, One Mountain View Rd., Lynchburg, VA or Rick Via Ministries, P.O. Box 582, Blue Ridge, VA 24064.