Barbara June Patterson

Barbara June Cunningham Patterson Barbara Patterson, 89, died peacefully Monday, March 23rd and joined the Church Triumphant. She weathered a several year struggle with dementia. Barbara is survived by her husband of seventy years, William Patterson of Hilton Head Island, SC. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Leonard Cunningham of Lake County, Indiana, and George W. Cunningham of Alexandria, Virginia. Barbara’s and Bill’s family includes a son, Rev. Dr. Dale W. Patterson and his wife, Patricia of Coppell, Texas; Michelle Landman and her husband, Daniel of York, South Carolina, and Ellen Marguerite Bennett of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She has nine grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. She was born on April 19, 1930 in Gary, Indiana to Orville and Inez Cunningham. She grew up in Griffith, Indiana in the Calumet region of Chicago where she graduated Valedictorian of Griffith High School. She went on to attend Ohio University. She married William G. Patterson also of Griffith on May 12, 1950. Barbara and Bill made their first home in Griffith, Indiana, then New Madrid, Missouri, Western Springs, Illinois, and Bradford Woods, Pennsylvania, before retiring to Hilton Head Plantation on the Island. They are members of First Presbyterian Church Hilton Head. In addition to raising her family Barbara served the community in the Tri Kappa philanthropic sorority where she served as its President. Further she had a distinguished career as an executive assistant, and legal secretary at McDermott, Will and Emery in Chicago, then Kirkpatrick and Lockhart in Pittsburgh before retiring. She loved music, in particular jazz, and the notes of the Big Band era. Always she was eager to attend any concert to enjoy the sounds. She had an especially soft spot in her heart for dogs, and they raised several Schnauzers. Barbara was raised from Midwestern stock and values, and lived that through her life with beauty, grace and gentility. Arrangements for her memorial are pending. Islandfuneralhome.com.