December 13, 1921- September 21, 2017
Graveside services for Mr. Patterson will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Riverside Cemetery in Friars Point. He was 95 and passed away peacefully in his sleep at his daughter’s residence in Carrollton.
Mr. Patterson was born Dec. 13, 1921, in Clarksdale to Henry Clark and Sylvia Crawley Patterson. He grew up in Clarksdale, and he was a graduate of Clarksdale High School and Mississippi State University, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and captain of the football team in 1942. He played on the MSU Orange Bowl Championship team of 1940 and the Southeastern Conference Championship team of 1941. Tut also played in the Blue-Gray College All Star Game of 1942 and was selected as an All Southeastern Conference end. Mr. Patterson was honored to be a member of the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame.
During World War II, he served in Europe for 27 months. He was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, made 16 parachute jumps and served in five major campaigns, including Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. When the 82nd Airborne Division occupied Berlin at war’s end, he was appointed by Gen. Gavin as Division Provost Marshal. He was discharged as a major at the age of 24.
Following the war, he farmed in Germantown, Tennessee, and later managed St. Rest Plantation near Indianola. In 1954, he organized the Citizen’s Council of America to defend state’s rights and to promote private school education. He served as a member of the board of Stewards of the Independent Methodist Church of Greenwood for 20 years and was an organizer of the Association of Independent Methodists. He was also a founder of Pillow Academy. He was a member of Post 29 of the American Legion in Greenwood. He was a resident of Itta Bena for over 50 years.
He is preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Mary Agnes Chism Patterson, and a daughter, Mary Chism Patterson Kerby. Full military rites will be presented by Post 29 of the American Legion from Greenwood.
He is survived by his daughter, Nancy Patterson Alderman (Joe) of Carrollton; two sons, Clark Patterson (Teresa) of Kosciusko and and Bob Patterson Jr. (Sandra) of Itta Bena; grandchildren Guy Alderman and Spencer Alderman (Stacy) of Carrollton, Chism Patterson (Becca) of Carroll County, Mary Fisher Carroll (Brad) of Olive Branch, Kitty Pinkston (Drew) of Greenwood, John Craig Patterson (Laura) of Olive Branch, Boyd Patterson of Cleveland, Mississippi, Cari Rushing (Marcus) of Hinds County, and Jordan Gray and Emily Gray of Oxford; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Archie Goodwin will officiate the services. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Lord, Tom Ross Jr., James Robertson, Tom Robertson, Bo Prestidge and David Murphy. Memorials may be made to Pillow Academy, Carroll Academy, or Riverside Cemetery in Friars Point, P.O. Box 215, Friars Point, MS 38631. Williams and Lord Funeral Home is in charge. An online guestbook can be signed at www.williamsandlord.com.
