Bettye Lou Patton

Mrs. Bettye Lou Emmett Patton, age 92, passed away peacefully at home on August 18, 2019. Bettye Lou was born on April 6, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan to Harold and Helen Emmett. Bettye Lou attended LSU where she was actively involved in campus affairs. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and was proud to be the first female lifeguard at LSU, teaching numerous servicemen to swim before they deployed during the war. She was voted the Sponsor of Company C and was involved in numerous student and social organizations during her time at LSU. A true beauty queen inside and out, she was the Freshman Homecoming Queen and the “LSU Darling” in 1947. It was while attending LSU when she met the love of her life, Dr. William Thomas Patton, her husband of 71 years. Over the next seven years, the couple welcomed five spirited boys into their family. Bettye Lou raised her rambunctious boys with a firm hand and lots of laughter. Her sons remember her as a wonderful mother who deeply loved her family, teaching her sons to swim before they could walk and inspiring a joie de vivre in each of them.

Known for her practical jokes, great sense of humor and infectious laugh, Bettye Lou was the life of every party. When tasked with entertainment for the annual Doctor’s Day dinner, she founded the “Crock Sisters” whose tongue and cheek humor was a huge hit. The singing act was so successful the Crock sisters spent the next ten years taking their skits on the road, poking fun of doctors at medical meetings all over the Gulf Coast. Bettye Lou was also actively involved in the community, serving as President of the Medical Auxiliary, on the Junior League Board, the Chamber of Commerce and she volunteered at many other charities. She was always looking for ways to improve Pensacola and was instrumental in founding the Bayou Texar Association when pollution in the Bayou became an issue. She had a variety of jobs over the years, working successfully in real estate and as the first promotional director at Cordova Mall.

Nicknamed “Captain America” by her sons for her strong patriotic spirit, Bettye Lou was always up for an adventure, secretly earning her pilot’s license with a surprise reveal to her shocked husband while the Pensacola News Journal filmed the entire prank. She dauntlessly embarked on numerous cross-country journeys (including Mexico) with her five sons in their station wagon making life-time memories for all. She loved to snow ski, water ski and was an accomplished tennis player and golfer. Her love for skiing led her to found the Pensacola Ski Club where she was a member of the winning snow skiing team at Florida Ski Week in Steamboat Springs, CO, beating out all of the other Florida ski clubs. She was an active member of the Pensacola Racquet Club, the Greater Pensacola Tennis Association, the Pensacola Sports Association, and the Pensacola Country Club,

Bettye Lou was deeply loved by her family and friends and will be greatly missed. Her wit, mischievous nature, smile and infectious laughter live on in her five sons, Tom of St. Augustine, FL; Scott (Debbie) of Smyrna, GA; Bruce (Allison), Doug (Marti) and Robert (Rena) all of Pensacola, FL, her 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. William Thomas Patton, her parents, Harold and Helen Emmett and her sister, Dorothy Claggett.

The family would like to thank the caregivers from Carestaff and Emerald Coast Hospice for their loving care and support. A Memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 3200 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32503 followed by a reception in the parish hall. A private family burial will be held at Bayview Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, play a practical joke on a loved one or donate to your favorite charity. Bettye Lou would approve of both!

BAYVIEW FISHER-POU CHAPEL, 3351 Scenic Highway is entrusted with arrangements. Fond remembrances and expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.bayviewfisher-pouchapel.com