John T. Patton passed away April 11, 2024 in El Paso, TX. John was born in Fort Worth, TX on May 9, 1931, the first born child of H.K. Patton and Katharine Tinsman Patton. In 1936 the family moved to Oklahoma City where John resided until graduation from Classen High School in 1949.
His main interests during his formative years were athletics and Boy Scouts. In Scouting he earned the rank of Eagle Scout with two gold palms and a firebuilding record of 31 seconds by rubbing two sticks together. His Scouting activities continued for life by serving as cubmaster, assistant scout master, troop committee head and a member of an Eagle Scout Board of Review.
He enrolled in Oklahoma State University majoring in engineering. After introductory courses he selected the challenge of chemical engineering where he graduated at the top of his class. In addition to academics his major interests were his social fraternity (SAE) and intramural athletics. He served as fraternity president his senior year and represented them in five intramural sports where he was undefeated in badminton for five years.
After graduation in 1953 he married his high school sweetheart, Sally Fogarty. The couple moved to Longview, TX where John accepted a position with Eastman Chemical. In 1954 he was called to serve two years during the Korean War in the Ordinance Corps at Aberdeen, MD. After Army discharge he returned to OSU to complete his MS and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering, graduating in 1960. He then accepted a position with Exxon’s research division at the Carter Oil Co. in Tulsa, OK. His research was productive and resulted in twenty U.S. patents and 31 peer reviewed publications published by the American Chemical Society, the Society of Petroleum Engineering and Nature. His most significant inventions included the process for the manufacture of Xanthan Gum currently widely used as a viscosifier in applications varying from toothpaste to salad dressings. A second invention is a unique drilling fluid still currently widely used in oil wells.
His lifelong athletic activities included several racquet sports and golf, winning local tournaments in each category. At age 72 he was racquetball champion in the El Paso Senior Games for players over the age of 60. For intellectual recreation he was an avid devotee of tournament duplicate bridge.
His technical reputation produced an offer of a tenured faculty position at Michigan Technological University. He left Exxon in 1967 to pursue his new career in teaching and academic research.
In 1977 he contracted melanoma and underwent an extensive operation. This surgery was rarely successful and his doctors were not encouraged. With the uncertain future he resigned at MTU and moved the family to Las Cruces, NM to accept the position as chairman of Chemical Engineering at NMSU. His original thought was that this position would be temporary, but the multitude of problems required his daily attention for seventeen years. In academia he guided both NMSU and MTU to full accreditation for PhD degrees in chemical engineering.
In 1995 his wife of 42 years succumbed to cancer. He met, fell in love and married Maureen Green, who was a member of his church and was serving with him on the Board of the Presbyterian Campus Ministry.
Besides his parents he was predeceased by his siblings and their spouses: Jane and Gabe Martin and Bill and Meredith Patton.
He is survived by his wife, Maureen, six children: John, Jr. (Heather) of Angola, IN; Nancy (Jerry Burton) of Palmer, AK; Bob (Anne) of Kalama, WA; Jim (Tracy) of Phelan, CA; David (Anna-Kristina) of Oakton, VA and Carolyn (Royce Brodie) of Ashburn, VA; three step-children: Robin (David Solid) of Woodbury, MN, Heidi (George Nadjek) of Cumming, GA and Andrew F. Green (Jennifer) of Chesterfield, VA; twenty-eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Also surviving are six nieces and a nephew.
The family wishes to thank both Hospice El Paso and TenderCare Hospice for their compassionate attention. Private family services will be conducted at a later date.
