Dwight Lanterman Patton

Dwight Lanterman Patton died peacefully in his sleep on July 15, 2018. Dwight was born on December 28, 1928, in Mannington, WV. He was the oldest of three sons born to the late Rev. Herman Patton and the late Helen Cotton Patton. He was preceded in death by his wife, Reatha Sinner Patton, his son Andrew Jon Patton, and his youngest brother Milton Patton. Dwight is survived by his brother, Rev. Bruce Patton and Fran Patton, his daughters Chareatha Patton Franklin and her husband James M. Franklin, and Deborah J. Patton of Portland, OR. He has four granddaughters, Shelley S. Skeete, Rachel S. Ripley, Megan S. Ilhefeld, Sarah S. Creech and two step grandsons, Austin H. Franklin and Hoskins F. Franklin. He has sixteen great grandchildren.

Dwight lived in several states as a child, but went to high school in Girard, OH, here he met his wife, Reatha. He graduated from Girard High School in 1947, and attended Antioch College that fall majoring in Forestry. He transferred to Michigan State in 1948. Dwight and Reatha were married before his senior year on September 16, 1950, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Girard. The ceremony was officiated by the couple’s fathers, The Rev. Philip J. Sinner and the Rev. Herman M. Patton. He graduated from Michigan State in 1951.

Dwight and Reatha spent their first year of marriage at Southern Christian Institute in Edwards, MS, which was one of the many missions of the Disciples of Christ denomination. Dwight taught biology and math. Their experience at S.C.I. with the students and faculty was one of the highlights of their lives together.

Dwight was hired by the United States government in 1952 and began his 33 year career as a public servant working for the Department of Interior. He was a Forester on the Klamath Indian Reservation managing the forest and timber lands rights of the reservation. Dad began his career as a Boy Scout leader with his first troop on the reservation. He led many troops in his lifetime. He moved to the Coos Bay region and was one of fifty applicant selected to attend Harvard for his MBA paid for by the U.S. government.

Dwight and family then moved to Medford, OR. In 1960, he was appointed to the Bureau of Land Management State Directors Staff in Reno, NV. He moved to Arlington, VA in 1961, with the BLM. While in Arlington, he became the assistant Director of Natural Resources including coal, gas, oil and minerals. He worked with several administrations and congress to establish policies still in force today. He developed a project program to experiment with extracting oil from oil shale in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. He became the Director of the BLM for the Eugene, OR district. He retired from the U.S. government in 1983 with 33 years of service and received the highest meritorious service award given to a civil servant.

Dwight was proud of having lived in every major part of the United States from ocean to ocean and from Canada to Mexico.

He and Reatha moved to Phoenix, AZ, once retired but finally settled in Lynchburg, VA in 1991, where his daughter and grandchildren lived. They were active members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

They were very active in the Compassionate Friends organization and Dwight spent many volunteer hours at Kid Haven. Dwight was active with Habitat for Humanity projects and enjoyed all aspects of building and renovation. He and Reatha believed in service to others and equality of all people regardless of race, color or creed. They demonstrated this strong belief through their volunteerism.

Dwight was a Master Gardener and received the Emeritus distinction, which he was proud of. He authored two books dealing with the loss of a child and grief, and one novel about the Civil War. He enjoyed playing tennis and photography. He was an avid gun collector and built his first one at the age of 14. He was a life long hunter and earned the distinction of bagging a sixteen pointer while living in Coos Bay. Dwight and Reatha enjoyed watching their grandchildren play softball and baseball in Little League and at Heritage High School. They were avid and regular attendees of the Heritage Football program, rain or shine.

Dwight was deeply loved by his family and friends, and will be greatly missed. Please do not wear black and dress comfortably to celebrate a life well lived.

A Celebration of his life will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 7736 Timberlake Rd., in Lynchburg on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Salvation Army.

To send online condolences to the family, please visit www.whittentimberlake.com.

Whitten Timberlake Chapel is serving the family, (434) 239-0331.