Donald L. Patterson's Obituary
Donald L. Patterson, known to all as Don, 73, of Annapolis, died peacefully in Baltimore, MD, on September 19, 2025, after a brief illness.
Born June 23, 1952, in Buffalo, NY, to the late Hubert and Deloris (Vaske) Patterson, Don grew up surrounded by a large and loving family. He attended Bishop Fallon High School in Buffalo, earned a BS in Sociology from SUNY Brockport, and an MS in Education from Syracuse University. While at Brockport, he met Patti, and they were married on December 28, 1973. Together they shared 52 years of marriage filled with love, laughter, adventure, and devotion to family.
Don spent 36 years as a public school teacher mostly in Anne Arundel County, teaching students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, including those in special education. His patience, humor, and passion for learning left a lasting mark on countless students.
His interests were many and always pursued with enthusiasm. He loved playing ping-pong with his sons and newly formed friends, traveling to national parks, capturing nature’s beauty through photography, and searching for fossils along Calvert Cliffs or on dinosaur digs out West. Earlier this year, he donated his extensive fossil collection to the Delaware Mineralogical Society to support earth science education.
After retiring in 2011, Don devoted himself to community service. He volunteered as a mediator with the Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center, helping parents navigate custody agreements, and teaching anger management classes to inmates at the Jennifer Road Detention Center. In 2014 he was honored with an award for this work and later served on the Center’s board. As a longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Don was deeply engaged in social justice and anti-racism efforts and was especially dedicated to coordinating the church’s food pantry donations to support the Woodside Gardens community in Annapolis.
Photography remained a constant passion, and he was an active member of the Digital Photography Club of Annapolis, serving in several leadership positions, most recently as Membership Director.
Above all, Don was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. He is survived by his wife, Patti; sons Scott (Sarah) of Helena, MT, and Brian (Jenn) of Silver Spring, MD; grandchildren Colin, Emily, and Eli; siblings Karen (Bernie), Bernie (Dolores), David (Kathy), Anne (Al), and Peggy (Mike); sisters-in-law Kathy (Gerry) and Arlene; and numerous nieces and nephews, and many close friends.
Don believed deeply in the inherent worth and dignity of every person and may his memory inspire acts of service and kindness to make the world a better place.
A celebration of Don’s life will be held Saturday, October 25, at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Road, with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Empower Motivation Fitness (Rock Steady Boxing Program which played an important role in Don’s later life), 2024 West St, Ste 101, Annapolis, MD 21401, or online at https://emfmaryland.org/donate
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