Kenneth Larry Laurence Patton

Kenneth Laurence (Larry) Patton, aged 72, of Montgomery, Texas, and a native of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, passed away at his home on Sunday, January 12, 2014.

He was born in Hot Springs on October 15, 1941, to Laurence and Ruth Patton, the second of three children. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Connie and Pat. While growing up in Hot Springs he spent much time with his 28 Hot Springs first cousins.

Larry attended Jones School, Hot Springs Junior High School and Hot Springs High School, from which he graduated in 1959. He was a proud member of the Trojan Band, where he held the rank of sergeant, and was a member of the Trojan Golf Team, where his enduring passion for the game of golf took root. He became later in life a member of a group of four other fellow Class of ’59 Trojans who annually held an Ingathering in Hot Springs, where they loved to swap memories of their days growing up and their enjoyment of the city in its 1940s and ‘50s heyday. The group especially enjoyed their annual dinners at McClard’s Barbecue, where Larry loved to chat with his high school buddy, the late Joe McClard.

He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1963 with a degree in civil engineering, and thus was an avid follower of the Razorbacks throughout his life.

After graduation, Larry enjoyed a long career in the oil industry, which took him throughout the United States, including working with Cities Service in Tulsa and Houston, trading oil in New York City, and a return to Houston with Arco.

He had a real love for the beauty of nature and appreciated all aspects of it, often venturing to scenic locations to experience the uniqueness each had to offer. He truly enjoyed some of the simpler things in life like wine, beer, and McClards barbecue. In 2008 he travelled to Scotland, the birthplace of golf, on a “trip of a lifetime” with his golfing group and came back with hundreds of new stories.

Larry loved American history, which led to his spending much time reading about all aspects of history, including precise knowledge of Hot Springs’ colorful past.

He loved his family and host of friends and, in retirement, seemed to be constantly on the road visiting them. He leaves a legacy of love and an enormous void that will be created in his absence.

Larry is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sandy Kay (Hodgekin) Patton, and his children: daughter Laura and husband Mike Burns of Broken Arrow, Okla.; son Clay and wife Leigh of Nashville, Tenn.; son Bryan and wife Eileen of Nacogdoches, Texas, and his grandchildren, Cody and Brooke Burns of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Henry Patton of Nashville, Tenn.

A memorial service for Larry will be held on Saturday, January 25, at 3 p.m. at Crestview Memorial Park in Hot Springs. There will be a gathering of family and friends afterward at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3819 Central Avenue in Hot Springs.

In lieu of flowers, Larry’s family asks that donations be made in Larry’s honor to

Golfers Against Cancer, Walden Golf Club, 13301 Walden Rd., Montgomery, TX 77356.