Our dad, Don Patterson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. He fought it until the bitter end.
Dad said his obituary should read: “He was born, he lived, he died.” But he’s not here so we will say what we want.
Dad was born April 2, 1950, to Carl S. and Kathleen E. Patterson in Flint, Mich. He was raised in Cincinnati, graduating from Colerain High School in 1968 where he played football, basketball and baseball. He attended Miami University of Ohio for his undergraduate studies and obtained his masters in horticulture from Washington State University in 1975.
After graduating from WSU, Dad moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., and worked at Skagit Gardens for a brief time where he met our mom, Sharon Coffman. From there they moved to Lind, Wash., and he went to work for the D.E. Phillips Ranch. From 1975-88 Dad worked as the resident horticulturist growing potatoes for McDonald’s french fries (he always said, “order them, but you don’t have to eat ’em.”) Dad served as the president of the Washington State Potato Growers Association while working for the ranch. He always said he loved the job and the people he met while working at the ranch and that that was his favorite job he ever had until he started working with his kids.
While living in Lind, the three Patterson kids — Justin, Bret and Kate — joined the family.
Dad and Mom and the three of us moved to Clarkston and started Patt’s Garden Center in the fall of 1989. The two of them worked side-by-side for nearly 36 years seeing the garden center through many changes over the years, from landscaping and design work to a growing wholesale operation and the relocation of the business in 2007 which prompted the return of all three Patterson kids. Dad enjoyed many years in the greenhouse growing beautiful bedding plants and vegetables for the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and beyond. He told us many times when it was his time to go to “roll me under the bench and keep on growing” so that’s what we will endeavor to do.
Dad is survived by his wife Sharon and their kids Justin (Krista), Bret (Sabrina) and Kate, grandkids Landry, Hunter and Penny and bonus grandkids Marek and Sascha, his favorite grand-dog Posie, his sisters Nancy (Rick) Rawlings, Julie Sloat and his nieces and nephews and lifelong best friend Rick Suder. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Jan.
If you knew Dad, his fourth grade teacher described him perfectly way back then: “Don shows a rare streak of stubborn carelessness, sometime “smarty,” overconfident or critical, but on the whole is dependable, capable, agreeable.” Boy, was he.
At Dad’s request, there will be no service, but you may visit the online book of memories at merchantfuneralhome.com to share any stories you may have.
Very special thanks to the staff at Cascadia of Lewiston and the staff at Patt’s for taking such good care of our family.
