Ann Armstrong Patterson

Cornelia Ann Armstrong Patterson passed April 24 after living with metastatic cancer for 6+ years. Born February 10, 1946, on a snowy evening in Mississippi, she is the daughter of Mathis E Armstrong, a Methodist minister, who passed when she was 7 years old, and Cornelia Mills Armstrong Cotten, a schoolteacher, who passed in 2003. She is the stepdaughter of L Fletcher Cotten, deceased. She is survived by her husband of 47 years David E Patterson, son Christopher E Patterson and his wife Sarah E Bright of Fairfax VA., son Michael J Patterson of Marietta, and granddaughter Devon E Bright-Patterson of Fairfax VA. Ann and David’s middle son, Jefferey A Patterson passed in 2001.

Ann graduated from Tunica County High School, Tunica, Mississippi, attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Alpha Psi Omega honorary theatre organization. She graduated from University of Mississippi School of Nursing with a BSN degree where she received the Faculty Award for excellence. Always interested in furthering her education, she attended many workshops and seminars through the years. Ann received Reiki initiation and became a Usui Reiki master. She worked as an RN in post-anesthesia recovery room, surgical ICU, adult ICU, emergency room, renal dialysis and hospice. She also taught at Charity Hospital School of Nursing. She met her husband David while working in a hospital in New Orleans. He was a radiation technologist who went on to earn his graduate degree from Emory University as a Medical Physicist with concentration in Radiation Oncology. Although Emergency Room was her favorite place to work, she began a less stressful job after her three boys were born because she loved being home with them. She worked in hospice care and outpatient clinics for the remainder of her career.

As an RN, Mrs. Patterson accompanied her clinic staff on a medical mission to Peru in 2000. There she met a young man Yossef Mohamed Gallegos (who was her translator) and his family and she now considers them extended family. He and his wife Patricia Hernandez and children Jorge and Martina now live in Madrid, Spain. His family is still in Peru. Ann and her husband also supported a Buddhist monk, Lobba Choegyal, through monastery school in India and assisted in bringing the monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery to Unity North on several different occasions. She is “second (or third) Mama” to many of her sons’ friends. In the past she has supported live theatre, dinner theatre, and outdoor concerts through Mountain View Arts Alliance and CenterStage North as a board member, officer, stage manager, assistant director, and director. She was a founding member of Sparrow Theatre Arts Repertory (The Rep). Through the years she has supported many environmental groups such as Environmental Defense Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, and Greenpeace. She is a member of Unity North Atlanta Church.

Ann will be remembered for being a loving and devoted mother, wife and friend. Everyone who met her loved her because she loved them.

She and her family would like to especially thank Dr Anu Ravikanth for her continued love, care and support throughout her journey.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 6th at 7:00 o’clock in the evening at Unity North, 4255 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta. Viewing from 6:30 to 7:00.

If you wish to honor Ann, please consider a donation to your favorite environmental group or charity, or the Jefferey Armstrong Patterson Photography Scholarship Fund through Mountain View Arts Alliance at The Art Place of Cobb County, 3330 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta, GA, 30066.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodstockfuneralhome.com for the Patterson family.