Lee C. Patterson

WOOLRICH - Lee Christine (Cousins) Patterson born in Floral Arkansas on 21st February 1918, a resident of Woolrich, Pennsylvania since 1968, died peacefully Sunday evening, July 24, 2016 at home with her beloved children David Joel Patterson of Fitzwilliam, N H, Michael Kevin Patterson of Oval, PA and Janie Sue Hankin of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England; and her daughter-in-law Sarah Kim Patterson also of Oval. She also leaves six grandchildren: Pearl Lee Patterson of Oval, Sanford and Jessie Hankin of Shropshire in the UK, Beau Anson Patterson of Wenatchee, WA, Lewis Patterson of Orlando, Florida and Christine Drew of Manchester New Hampshire also 8 great grandchildren. At 98 years of age she continued up to the end and through long illness to be an amazing, vital and intelligent friend and counselor to an impressive number of friends many of whom were much younger than she. An accomplished potter and water colour painter, gardener (latterly in an ingenious raised bed along her ramp designed by (Michael), writer (her penmanship was perfect even with arthritis crippling her hands, her language vibrant and accomplished). She also read avidly sometimes a book a day, two newspapers, knew the news worldwide. She was an active member of the Woolrich Methodist Church which she loved and in the past her local garden club. Her mother Isabel Jane Cousins who was widowed when Lee was only five weeks old raised her. She started attending the school where her mother taught when she was three and graduated from High School at 15 and university at 18. It was in Colorado where she was studying for a Masters Degree in Fine Art that she met her first husband Walter Weston “Spot” Sanford Jr and married after a fortnight. They lived in Panama for a while where he taught high school in the Canal Zone. They enjoyed dancing every night after work. He died when Janie Sue and David were 8 and 5. She re-married two years later Philip Lyle Patterson who had been a journalism student of his when Spot was his professor and faculty adviser at Washington State University at Pullman. The couple married in Canyon, Texas and moved to New York City where Phil worked in Sales Management, then to Cedar Grove, New Jersey where Michael was born. Phil's love of flying caused him to apply for a job at Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven in 1968 where he became Director of Communications. He resigned that job around 1976 to join Lee as a potter in their business Pattersons' Pots. He became president of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen of which Lee was also a member. One of their great joys before he died in 1986 was to attend craft shows all over the State. Lee also traveled abroad in Europe especially in the UK. Lee will be remembered with love and admiration by her many many friends and her family. She was an extraordinary person to the end. And now she lives on in our hearts. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Woolrich Community Methodist Church followed by a tea. Interment will be private.