Nicholas N Patterson

Nicholas Noel “Nick” Patterson passed away on July 21, 2025, in Davenport, Iowa, at the age of 85. A devoted educator, Nick’s legacy is marked by his passion for the Spanish language, culture, and his commitment to teaching and students.

Born on November 26, 1939, in Guilford, Maine, Nick was the son of Majorie Magdalene Patterson and Howard Russell Patterson. His family relocated to Iowa while he was still a young boy, eventually settling in Davenport where his father, an osteopath, helped found Davenport Osteopathic Hospital, and his mother taught sixth grade at McKinley Elementary School. In 1958, Nick graduated from Davenport Central High School, where he later returned to complete his teaching career from 1994 until 2016. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Grinnell College in 1962. From 1963 to 1965, Nick served as a Peace Corps volunteer and English instructor at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. This formative experience shaped his worldview and deepened his appreciation for international education and service. Upon his return to the United States, Nick taught Spanish in The School District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion School District. His academic journey continued with a Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1967 followed by a Master of Arts in Spanish from the University of Kansas in 1972. These achievements reflected not only his love for language but also his dedication to teaching and cross-cultural understanding.

He married River Forest, Illinois native and KU classmate Barbara Renz in 1971. In 1973, Nick began what would become a remarkable four-decade career as a Spanish teacher at the secondary level within the Davenport Community School District. Highlights during these years included leading cultural immersion trips to Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries with 7-12th grade students, hosting foreign exchange students, assisting with the Blackhawk journalism exchange program on trips to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, serving as a volunteer teacher at a one-room elementary schoolhouse in a Costa Rican tropical rain forest, and expanding DCSD foreign language studies to include AP and other advanced curriculum. A lifelong learner, Nick pursued professional development relentlessly, attending dozens of foreign language education workshops across the United States. In 1986, he received a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation and spent the summer studying Incan culture in Peru. He also received a King Juan Carlos Fellowship from the Fundación Ortega Y Gasset to pursue advanced studies in Spain during the summer of 1994.

Nick’s life was grounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Patterson of Davenport; his brother Dr. David Patterson of Davenport; his son Dr. Trent Patterson of Saint Louis, Missouri; and his daughter Elizabeth (Nathan) Patterson Downend of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. He also leaves behind four cherished grandsons: Benjamin and Isaac Patterson of Saint Louis; and William and Jonathan Downend of Whitefish Bay.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Majorie Patterson (1990) and Howard Patterson (1991), as well as by his brother Clayton Patterson (1996).

He will be interred in the columbarium at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff in the memory care unit at Silvercrest Senior Living, Golden Goals Therapy, and St. Croix Hospice for providing Nick with such good care. The family also asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Alzheimer’s Disease Research through BrightFocus Foundation. Nick’s enduring impact lives on through the many students he taught and the family who loved him deeply. May his memory bring comfort to those who knew him.