Aldine "AL" Patton
d. December 9, 2015
Aldine "AL" Patton
ALDINE PATTON
LT. COL. USMCR (Ret.)
Augusta, GA- Aldine “Al” Patton, son of the late W. R. and Grace Shell Patton of Morganton, N. C., died Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at the age of 92. He had been a resident of Augusta, GA since 1961. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Hazel Greene Patton.
Al graduated from Morganton High School and was attending Lenoir-Rhyne College at the outbreak of World War II. Having already received his private pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training program at Lenoir-Rhyne, he was accepted as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Upon completion of his training he transferred to the Marines as a dive bomber pilot earning the Air Medal for combat missions flown in the Pacific until the end of the war. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserves as a fighter pilot until his retirement as a Lt. Colonel. After the war, Al was co-owner of Art Craft Printers in Morganton, N. C. and Anderson, S. C. He then got back into aviation as a contract flight instructor at Spence Air Force Base in Moultrie, GA and as an air traffic controller for 20 years at the Bush Field Tower in Augusta. During this time he continued to instruct and provide pilot services to several Augusta area companies.
Al was also very active in sport aviation. He designed and built several airplanes and assisted many others in their projects. He was the founder of Experimental Aircraft Assoc. Chapter 172 and a member of the Antique Airplane Assoc. Among his many awards was his induction into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005.
Al was also preceded in death by brothers, Bill, Fred and Dick Patton, and his sisters Sara Saunders and Diane Patton. He is survived by his daughter, Billie Black, his sons Tom (Sally), Larry (Kay), Brad, and Bob (Beth), grandchildren Will (Megan), Andy, Brant, and Grace, and sisters Grace Swann, Polly Wall and Peggy Levesque and dozens of nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be Saturday, December 12, 2015, 2:00 P.M. in the Chapel at Thomas Poteet & Son with Dr. Greg DeLoach officiating. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.
The family would like to thank his caregivers, Felisha Chambers, Dedra Graham, Monique Chambers, and Cheryl Mack for the loving care they provided him for the last three years.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Augusta Warrior Project, 4115 Columbia Road, Martinez, GA 30907.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 1:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com
LT. COL. USMCR (Ret.)
Augusta, GA- Aldine “Al” Patton, son of the late W. R. and Grace Shell Patton of Morganton, N. C., died Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at the age of 92. He had been a resident of Augusta, GA since 1961. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Hazel Greene Patton.
Al graduated from Morganton High School and was attending Lenoir-Rhyne College at the outbreak of World War II. Having already received his private pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training program at Lenoir-Rhyne, he was accepted as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Upon completion of his training he transferred to the Marines as a dive bomber pilot earning the Air Medal for combat missions flown in the Pacific until the end of the war. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserves as a fighter pilot until his retirement as a Lt. Colonel. After the war, Al was co-owner of Art Craft Printers in Morganton, N. C. and Anderson, S. C. He then got back into aviation as a contract flight instructor at Spence Air Force Base in Moultrie, GA and as an air traffic controller for 20 years at the Bush Field Tower in Augusta. During this time he continued to instruct and provide pilot services to several Augusta area companies.
Al was also very active in sport aviation. He designed and built several airplanes and assisted many others in their projects. He was the founder of Experimental Aircraft Assoc. Chapter 172 and a member of the Antique Airplane Assoc. Among his many awards was his induction into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005.
Al was also preceded in death by brothers, Bill, Fred and Dick Patton, and his sisters Sara Saunders and Diane Patton. He is survived by his daughter, Billie Black, his sons Tom (Sally), Larry (Kay), Brad, and Bob (Beth), grandchildren Will (Megan), Andy, Brant, and Grace, and sisters Grace Swann, Polly Wall and Peggy Levesque and dozens of nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be Saturday, December 12, 2015, 2:00 P.M. in the Chapel at Thomas Poteet & Son with Dr. Greg DeLoach officiating. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.
The family would like to thank his caregivers, Felisha Chambers, Dedra Graham, Monique Chambers, and Cheryl Mack for the loving care they provided him for the last three years.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Augusta Warrior Project, 4115 Columbia Road, Martinez, GA 30907.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 1:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Aldine "AL" Patton, please visit our flower store.
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