Col. George Arthur "Pat" Patterson (USAF, ret.), 89, of Aiken, passed away on Friday, September 20, 2013. A celebration of his life will be held at St Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, South Carolina on Monday, September 30th at 1:00pm with a reception to follow. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was the eldest of six children of Egbert George & Vera Bess (Ellis) Patterson, and retired from the United States Air Force with over 30 years of service. He flew on the front lines in WWII, the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Col. Patterson was a member of St Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken and St Andrew's Episcopal Church in Las Cruces, NM; the Brotherhood of St. Andrews, and was a Mason. He was preceded in death by a son, Col. (USAF, ret.) Christopher Jon Patterson. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Jacquelyn James Patterson of Aiken, South Carolina; sons, Timothy Walker Patterson and his wife Terry Richards Patterson of Fort Mill, South Carolina; and James MacKenzie Patterson and his wife Kelly Sigler Patterson of Wagener, South Carolina; a sister, Helen Meyerink and her husband, John Meyerink of Mercedes, Texas; a daughter-in-law, Terri Dial Patterson of Monument, Colorado; grandchildren, Erin Patterson Staltare and her husband Joseph Staltare of Monument, Nicholas James Patterson and his wife Sharon Daly Patterson of Monument, Ryan Christopher Patterson of Fort Collins, Colorado, Rainey Elizabeth Patterson of Gainesville, Florida and Reed MacKenzie Christopher Patterson of Wagener. Pat's lifetime of service to his Country, Creator, and Community began with his enlistment in the Army Air Corps in 1943. He completed training and flew B-17's out of Polebrook, England in 1944-45, logging 28 missions before the war's end. The bond he formed with the nine men of his crew lasted a lifetime. During his service in Europe, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Pat attended the University of Michigan from 1945 thru 1948, where he met Jackie; they were wed in 1949, shortly after the Air Force recalled him to military service in 1948. His service with the Strategic Air Command through 1964 in B-47's and B-52's was a highlight for him, as he regarded SAC as the military's 'first string'. Pat flew during subsequent assignments to Air War College and Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1969-70 he spent a year in Southeast Asia as a Squadron Commander with the 56th Special Operations Wing in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, flying C-123's and U-10's in support of American forces throughout the region. Jackie and Pat retired in 1976 to Kingsport, TN and subsequently moved to Las Cruces, NM in 1995, and then to Aiken, SC in 2011. Throughout they have been rewarded with a rich family of friendships that continue to be a source of joy and strength. The recent move to Aiken allowed Pat to develop a close relationship with his youngest grandson, Reed, soon to be three years old and already missing his walks in the woods with 'Opa', as he was known by all his grandchildren. Pat's participation in the Episcopal Church was a cornerstone of his life, and he served on the vestry in many of the parishes he attended. From bible study to church retreats, organizing pancake breakfasts to ushering, he participated fully in the life of the church. Although chairing United Way campaigns or dressing as the Easter Bunny in the Optimist Club's spring fundraiser were more visible, the bulk of Pat's community service was low key and personal. Providing handyman services to those in need and connection and friendship to veterans were but a few of the ways Pat shared his talents and blessings. One of Pat and Jackie's long-term commitments has been to youth through Children International, which enabled them to extend their service to communities around the world. In later years, Pat's ministry became simpler, using his baking skills to provide breads and cookies to celebrate birthdays, welcome newcomers and for events at their church and retirement community. Made by the freezerful, each cookie was an opportunity to share his love of people and meet new friends. Pat's passion as a voracious reader continued throughout his life. His knowledge of history and geography were a key to his successful completion of the daily crossword puzzles he enjoyed. The annual reunion of his B-17 "Glory Bound" crew and their families has been a keystone of his retirement years and he was looking forward to their next reunion in November. He will be there in spirit. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Children International, www.children.org.