Obituary of James Patterson

James Patterson (Jim) died at Mt. Nittany Hospital in State College, Pennsylvania, on March 8, 2014. Born in DeQueen, Arkansas — a region of southwestern Arkansas where his family were pioneers — to Allene (Steel) Patterson and Charles Edward Patterson, he spent most of his youth in the south, including a year in St. Louis, where the family first had a peach orchard. They later moved to Little Rock, where Jim attended elementary school. At an early age, Jim fell in love with boats and water. He laughed at this early enthusiasm that led him to read every book the Little Rock public library had on seamanship. When his family moved to Washington, D.C. at the beginning of World War II, he immediately bicycled to the waterfront and made friends with some of the old timers at the Capital Yacht Club. One of them, a retired Colonel, invited him to help with his yacht and later gave him Jim first boat, a sailing dinghy. Senator Fulbright nominated Jim to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where Jim enrolled in May 1945. Designated a scholar by the academy, he enjoyed his studies and planned on a maritime career, beginning as second mate for Esso of Standard Oil until the recession of 1953. After this economic downturn, he was granted a scholarship to study for advanced degrees at Cornell University, where he earned his MBA in 1954 and a doctorate in business with an emphasis on Managerial Economics and Politics in 1961. Jim and his first wife Harriet (Frazier) Patterson, with their two young sons, then moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he began his academic career as a lecturer at Northwestern University, and at The University of Chicago, before accepting a position in the Marketing Department at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in Bloomington in 1960. He remained at Indiana University for his entire academic career, publishing on gasoline marketing and antitrust; consulting in oil industry litigation; and becoming Chair of the Marketing Department, President of the Bloomington Faculty Council, and President of the University Faculty Council, before retiring in 1992 to become the Director of the IU Institute for Advanced Study. Jim met his second wife, D. Jeanne (Hays) Patterson sailing on Lake Lemon, near Bloomington. Jeanne was a faculty member in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs,where she was the Director of Undergraduate Studies and taught governmental finance and accounting. They loved sailing and travel, and added two more children to the family. Their vacation home in Annapolis, MD, and their later retirement home at Orr's Island, ME, became favorite places for family gatherings, talking, and sailing. Jim made friends easily and loved to talk about his numerous adventures. Throughout his life, Jim was a voracious reader - enriching his mind with a combination of wit, esoteric information and numerous colorful anecdotes. He really enjoyed meeting new people, was gracious in his interactions with others, and an unusually good listener. His combination of education and experience made him a favorite companion. Jim also was one of those rare people who didn't offer opinions unless asked, but whose advice was always worth hearing. He tended to view life and events optimistically and for all these reasons he will be missed. Jim is survived by his sister Nancy Tischler (Merle) of Boalsburg, PA; his beloved children, Robert Thomas Patterson (Ann) of Sitka, AK, Donald Ario Patterson (Maura Wood) of Baton Rouge, LA, James Marshall Patterson of Annapolis, MD, and Julia Marie Patterson (Robert Morgan) of Novelty, OH; his grandchildren, Michael, James, and Bradley Patterson, and Bryn and Tristan Morgan; his 7 nieces and nephews; their extended families; and many friends and colleagues. Friends and family will gather in June to scatter his ashes, along with Jeanne's, in the waters off Orr's Island, near Casco Bay. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, PO Box 636, St. Michaels, MD, 21663, or the Boalsburg Fire Company, PO Box 540, Boalsburg, PA, 16827. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.