Bill Patterson needed to hear your name only once to be able to remember it a lifetime. He had a knack for learning names.
Asked if he’d had a memory training course and he’d say, ‘No, ever since I was a kid I could remember names.?
He’d not only recite that person’s name, but their maiden name, all their children, who they married, relatives names and who they married.
And, everyone who knew Bill knew the pharmacy that carried his name was on the corner of walk and don’t walk. We heard it often.
Bill is also a person who seemingly never had an enemy. His personality was such that he accepted everyone and they all spoke well of him.
This outreaching, and his energy, brought him recognition, and more work in the community. By the time he’d been in Oxford eight years, he was a past president of Oxford Rotary, past president of Oxford Chamber of Commerce and president of the Oxford Board of Education.
Though Bill has been in Oxford 42 years, and knew practically everything about the community, he’d still refer to himself as a ‘newcomer? to the elders here.
We’ve spent a lot of time with Bill. We’ve been on snowmobile outings together, played golf, partied and exchanged numerous barbs, stories and remembrances.
What I’m saying is, we’ve been close, knowing, liking and understanding each other.
Bill has always been sensitive to the feelings of others, except maybe opponents at University of Michigan football games.
He thinks before he acts, he’s intelligent and caring, he’s a leader when needed and follower, too.
Bill has been just an outstanding person to have in our community these 40-plus years and we can all be thankful for having him among us at the Maize and Blue corner of walk and don’t walk.