Lowell Patterson Obituary

October 18, 1933 – January 10, 2024

FRANKLIN - Lowell was the third child of Rev. Elmer J. and Jennie E. (House) Patterson. He was preceded in death by both parents, his older brother, Eugene, and his sister, Wilma. Two children from his first marriage, Randall and Margaret, have also predeceased him. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara; his daughter, Susan; two sisters, Sylvia and Lynnette; his brother, Brian; grandchildren, Adam, Valerie, Jennifer, Matthew, and Daniel. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

The Patterson family is a musical family where the children learned from age three to sing in church and to sing in harmony. Lowell joined the Navy during the Korean conflict in 1953 and was honorably discharged due to severe migraine headaches in 1954. He then attended Eastern Nazarene University, sang in a gospel quartet, and served part-time on church staff.

Lowell earned a degree in education and taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee schools. He attained his doctorate in education at the University of Tennessee, writing his dissertation, A Study of Perceived Differences in Administration of School Districts in Tennessee which Operate under Elected or Appointed Superintendents, which played a critical role in Tennessee becoming an appointed state. He often wrote for the paper in Kingsport, Tennessee, and authored Jasper County Yankee, the Civil War journal of his great-grandfather, William E. Patterson.

Lowell was involved in community service through the Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, and Lions Club. He continued the family legacy for many years, singing in community theater and gospel quartets. He and Barbara also sang in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church choir in Kingsport, Tennessee.