Jerome Augustine Patterson, III Obituary (1944

Jerome Augustine Patterson, III died at North Florida Rehab on 24 February 2021 of complications following a fracture and pneumonia. He was 76 years old and a life-long member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Jacksonville. Jerry was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Jerome Augustine Patterson, Jr. and Camille Donahoo Patterson in 1944 at Riverside Hospital. He was raised in Ortega and attended Robert E. Lee High School where he was a swimmer and diver. He loved to dance and was a popular partner. He would have loved to dance on Broadway. He spent summers on the family farm in Alabama. Following high school Jerry attended Sewanee, the University of the South, and then Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg. After law school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent five years as an intelligence officer before briefly joining his father's business in Jacksonville and then moving to Ocala and Gainesville. In Gainesville Jerry became fascinated with developing computer technology and had his own computer by 1982. He returned to school and earned two degrees in computer programming, later becoming user support manager for Gainesville Regional Utilities where he worked for a number of years. Jerry and Phil met in 1978 and each quickly decided the other was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Both loved to travel and they decided to see the world together. During those travels both photographed what they saw and each saw the world from a slightly different viewpoint which came across in their photos. In his spare time, Jerry studied photography and won multiple awards including First place one year and second place the next in the Sarasota Institute of Art All Florida Photography contest. Jerry also won several Orlando Museum of Art 1st Thursday Art Exhibits and he accepted an invitation to put on a one-month exhibit of his Photography in the Orlando Museum of Art Gift Shop Annex. Jerry had played bridge as a child both in Jacksonville and during summers in Alabama. He continued to play and engaged in tournament play as a young adult. Then after many years of playing only occasionally with friends Jerry resumed bridge. Jerry traveled to various bridge tournaments where Phil read his Kindle while Jerry played bridge and earned his Life Master ranking. Jerry also volunteered with Channel 5 PBS TV and with the Alachua County Library Board. He took up bicycle riding and participated a number of times in the Northeast Florida Bike MS 150 fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis. He was a member of The Florida Yacht Club. Jerry is survived by his husband, Phillip W. (Phil) Cushman, of Gainesville and a sister Audrey Barnes (Bonnie) Patterson of Jacksonville, sister-in-law Phyllis Buente (Dale), two nephews by marriage Beau Buente (Jackie) and Jay Buente (Jill), three grand-nephews and a grand-niece as well as several cousins. He is also survived by his dear friend Ann Wetherill of Tryon, NC who traveled with them frequently. Jerry and Phil finally were able to marry on May 2, 2015 in St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Washington, DC after having shared a life together since 1978. All arrangements will require social distancing and use of masks, preferably double. The family will welcome friends at Milam Funeral Home, 311 South Main Street, from 5-7 PM on Tuesday 2 March 2021. The funeral service will be held at 2 PM Wednesday 3 March at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 100 NE First Street, Gainesville with The Reverend Canon Fletcher Montgomery officiating and The Reverend Brent Owens assisting. Honorary Pall Bearers are Cal King, Bill Schmidt, Mike Hoyt, etc Burial will follow at 2 PM on Thursday 4 March at the Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Rd, Jacksonville. Arrangements are under the care of MILAM FUNERAL AND CREMATION SERVICES 311 South Main Street Gainesville, FL. (352) 376-5361 www.milamfh.com