SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Patricia “Patty” Patterson, born on Nov. 26, 1941, passed away peacefully on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. Patty, aka “Grammie” or “Gram,” was a tender and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
She was predeceased by infant daughter Tina, husband Norman Patterson Sr., and son Norman Patterson Jr. She is survived by daughter Lorry Lachapelle; long-time partner Dick Williams; three grandchildren Michelle Lachapelle, Justin Lachapelle, and Nicole Patterson; and two great-grandchildren Blake and Emma Lachapelle.
To be around her was to be home, to feel a warmth and genuine kindness that was contagious. As a selfless and generous caretaker, she truly took pleasure in looking after others. When she wasn’t bustling around the house, making something to eat, shopping, or tending to her dog (or two), she spent her afternoons rewatching “Law & Order,” or TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” In the summertime, you could easily find her outside in a lounge chair, swinging by the campfire telling stories until midnight, or she and Dick would spend days going to bluegrass festivals. Many Friday nights, she and her cousin Sylvia would be out at Cactus Jacks in White River Junction dancing the night away to country music or her sweetheart, Elvis.
Having one leg shorter than the other didn’t stop her from living a full and vivacious life – all it took was a trip to the cobbler for a “lift kit” on her shoes and she was “off like a herd of turtles,” as she would say. This was her witty, and often flirtatious, sense of humor. She wasn’t afraid to challenge some young guy in the car next to her to a race to the next stop light – even in her Buick LeSabre, she most likely won and then gave him a wink. She had a genuine love for life itself, but also appreciated its journey and patience. Patty was a born Vermonter who preferred the longer, yet scenic way around – often stopping for a vanilla ice cream on the way. But now that she’s passed into our hearts and memory, we trust that the view is better from above.