Willis C. Patterson

Willis Charles Patterson passed away on October 22, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 94. He was born on November 27, 1930, in Ann Arbor, where he grew up with his mother, stepfather and nine Patterson siblings in the area north of downtown, populated by most of the city’s black families.

Willis attended Ann Arbor High School where his lifelong love of music performance began with his portrayal of the Sergeant of Police in the school's 1949 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. He enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating in 1949 and was stationed in France as a senior stenographer in the Field Services Division during the early 1950s. After his service, he began his undergraduate education at (what is now) Eastern Michigan University, transferring to the University of Michigan (UM) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music in 1958 and a Master of Music in 1959. A Fulbright Scholarship enabled him to pursue studies in opera and lieder in Germany, studying at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. In addition, he studied opera at the Manhattan School of Music and then later pursued a doctoral degree at Wayne State University, earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Administrative Supervision in 1993.

While at the University of Michigan, Willis met the love of his life and wife of almost 67 years - Frankie. Willis and Frankie married on June 21, 1958, in her hometown of Opelousas, Louisiana.

Willis began his teaching career at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1959. In 1962 he joined the voice faculty of Virginia State College where he taught for the next six years. He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in 1968, becoming the first African American professor in the UM's School of Music. From 1969 until 1975, he was the music director of the Men's Glee Club and in 1976 he was named chair of the voice faculty. In 1979 he became Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Minority Affairs in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) where, according to the University’s website Willis “arguably did more to advance the cause of racial equity at SMTD than anyone else in its history, before or since.” For 15 years during his time at UM, he also taught university and high school students at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where the family enjoyed many summers living on a lake, participating in music programs, working, and enjoying concerts. Willis retired from UM in 1999 and was appointed as a professor emeritus.

In addition to his academic career, Willis was an accomplished singer, conductor, music director, author, and publisher. He performed in opera houses and concert halls internationally. He served as president of the National Association of Negro Musicians and as executive secretary of the National Black Music Caucus. In 1958 he won the Marian Anderson Award, and in 1961 he placed second in the finals of the National Association of Teachers of Singing contest at the national level of the competition. In 1963 he portrayed King Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors in a televised version of the opera broadcast on NBC-TV. He also recorded this opera role for RCA.

In 1977 he published an anthology of African American music, Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers, described by The New York Times as a "groundbreaking anthology of black art songs." Willis conducted the Ambrosian Singers on Jessye Norman's 1979 album Spirituals. In 1998 he conducted the PBS television special "Holiday Homecomings" which featured Jessye Norman and the Augusta Opera. In 2002 he published The Second Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers, in 2011 he wrote and published The Saints Among Us, and in 2015 his autobiography, The Unlikely Saga of a Singer from Ann Arbor, was published.

Willis’s passion for community was evident throughout his life. In 1968 he founded the Our Own Thing Youth Instructional Program, providing students in the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti area with free instruments and music lessons, breaking down barriers to make music education more inclusive and accessible. This led to his founding of The Willis C. Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale in 1969, comprised of community members who shared his love of singing. The Chorale has performed extensively, including in South Africa – a trip that was a lifetime highlight for both Willis and Frankie. He served as a trustee of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and through it helped to establish the African American Endowment Fund to improve the physical, economic, social and educational conditions that affect the quality of life for African Americans in the Ann Arbor area. He was also a tireless supporter and advocate for the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.

Willis was a member of the Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor for most of his life, was music director / Minister of Music at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor for 37 years, and frequently attended services at Second Baptist, First Congregational, and Community Church of God in Ypsilanti – on the same Sunday. In his spare time, he was an avid reader (often reading multiple books at the same time), golfer, and especially Michigan sports fan. Family and friends marveled at Willis’s disciplined approach to life and wellness: for decades he began his day with a 3-mile jog early in the morning; when he was physically unable to continue, he replaced the jogs with morning trips to the local pool to swim laps. He ate the same breakfast every morning but changed it on a dime upon the recommendation of his physician, was a firm believer in daily power naps, and kept up with current events by reading two daily newspapers and watching the news on TV every morning and evening.

He believed in the riches and healing power of music, and deeply loved his family, his faith, and his community.

Willis is preceded in death by his wife, Frankie Bouyer Patterson, his parents Kathleen Gulley Patterson and Edward Curtis, his stepfather James Patterson, and siblings: B.B. Patterson, Claude Wright, Barbara Banks, Bernice Overton, Bernard Patterson, Mary Curtis, Elsie Lisle, Lauretta Kersey, Pauline Easley, Harry Curtis, Gordon Curtis, Frank Curtis, and Edward Curtis.

Willis is survived by his brothers: Bob Patterson, and Ron Patterson, sisters: Doris Patterson, Janet Smith, Lillian Sims, and Donna Shepard, children: Haleem (Mary), Sharon, Kevin (Lara), and Shelia, grandchildren: Tenechia, Jermaine, Kenyatta, Opio, Sudani (Haleem); Casey, Lorena, Jeanne (Sharon); Tyler, Jared, Braden (Kevin); Kayla, Camryn (Shelia); several great-grandchildren and great great-grandchildren, and many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

The family would like to thank the staff at StoryPoint for the care and compassion they showed Willis in his final months.

Family and friends are invited to attend services at First Congregational Church (608 E William Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104) on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with visitation at 10 AM and service at 11 AM. A reception will follow the service. Burial will be held at Fairview Cemetery, Ann Arbor.

Memorial donations may be made to the Willis C. Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale