Obituary of Kenneth Wayne Patterson

Obituary of Kenneth Patterson Kenneth Wayne (Yogi) was born on May 14, 1943 to Leroy Patterson, Sr. and Sibyl Lee Patterson. He gained his early childhood education at Holy Spirit Catholic School graduating with honors 1 year earlier than expected. After completing four years of high school at H. B. Pemberton High School, Marshall, TX, he enrolled in Texas Southern University where he received a degree from the School of Pharmacy. He met and married Melva Hines while attending Texas Southern University and later, Andra Price, and from these 2 unions 6 children were born. Yogi began his career as a pharmacist in East Texas. He later moved to Dallas, TX where he furthered his career in retail pharmacy before becoming the proud owner of Forest Plaza Pharmacy for several years. He worked as a pharmacist for 40+ years until continued health battles forced him to stop prematurely, retiring as Director of Pharmacy at Albertson's in 2010. Always a hard worker, he found it difficult to settle quietly into retirement, and struggled to find comfort in a world that didn't include the daily grind. Yogi was an avid sports enthusiast, having become involved in organized athletics early in his childhood. He remained fit and active throughout his adult life playing tennis, softball, and later the game of golf. He often shared stories of great times with his brothers and childhood friends and understood that organized sports represented something beyond being physically fit; that being part of the "team" played an integral part in the development of camaraderie, hard work and perseverance in young people and thus involved his sons in sports teams early in their lives and delighted at the opportunity to watch his grandchildren compete. Yogi had talents that escaped many who knew him, being quite an accomplished artist with talent that rivaled published cartoonists. He was also very adept at creating beautifully hand carved and painted wooden works of art and was quite the DIY guy when he felt up to the task. Ever the encourager, he chose to see the bright side of things and not be consumed with the matters of this world. When lending a supportive ear to a concerned friend or a troubled child, his ending was almost always the same, "Well, no need to worry too much about it. Do what you can do, and the God Lord will handle the rest." We will all miss the comforting reassurance that came from that lazy baritone drawl. Yogi was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers Leroy, Jr. (Jerry) and Charles. He leaves to cherish his memories two daughters, Kathlyn 'Kathi' of Forestville, Md and Meloney of Dallas, TX; four sons, Kenneth 'Kenny' (Katrina) of Dallas, TX, Kenneth 'Boola' of Amarillo, TX, Deryl Muhammad (Rosa) of Fort Worth, TX, and Christopher 'Chris' (Yolanda) of Frisco, TX; 26 Grandchildren; 7 Great-Grandchildren; one sister, Dorothye of Pearland, TX; one brother, James (Bessie) of Missouri City, TX; sister-n-law, Elizabeth Lewis (Herman) of Dallas, TX; a host of nephews and nieces other relatives and friends.