Gary "Buzz" L. Patton

Gary L. Patton, 75, died January 22, 2019, after a sudden and brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Gary, aka "Buzz" to friends and family from his youth in PA, was born October 10, 1943, in Mercer County, PA, to Howard and Anna Steinlechner Patton. After growing up in Sandy Lake, PA, Gary wanted to "see the world" and to serve his country. He joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from Lakeview High School; his family and friends loved listening to stories of his coming-of-age years on the "Kiddie Cruise" ships in the seas of the Far East.

After attending Youngstown State University, Gary began working for Ford Motor Credit, where he spend 38 years in several different cities around the country until retiring at age 62 in Scottsdale, AZ. Retirement gave Gary time to enjoy life: playing golf with family and friends; enjoying Miller Lite at 5 p.m. daily wherever he was; playing "Words With Friends" to keep his mind sharp; reading mysteries and suspense; sharing stories and jokes with friends via email; keeping up year-round with his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers; and staying healthy as long as he could through daily walks with a succession of much-loved dogs, with the last his dear Daisy. Gary is survived by his wife of 36 years, Carol Murphy Patton; his sister, Beverly Patton Armour and her husband, Robert Armour, of Florence, KY; his niece, Shelly Armour Riddle and his grandnephews, T.J. Riddle and Jackson Mays; his nephew, Rob Armour, and his wife, Kelly, and their children Kayla, Steven, Megan, Michael, and Zachary. Gary is also survived by his wife Carol's family: Stephen and Carolyn Murphy, Patricia (Murphy) and Jack Crittenden, Kathleen Murphy, Thomas Murphy, John and Denice Murphy, and Elaine (Murphy) and Tom Saxon, as well as many loving nephews and nieces.

The "L" in Gary's middle name is for "Lee"; however, it might just as well be for "loyal," as few in this world were more loyal to his family, his friends, the Steelers, and Miller Lite. We will all miss Gary every day as we go forward.

At Gary's specific request, no services will be held. Please drink a toast in his name to celebrate having the privilege to have known and loved him. At Carol Patton's request, contributions in Gary's name may be made to Hospice of the Valley's Eckstein Center, Scottsdale, AZ.