Obituary of Scott Samuel Patterson

Scott Samuel Patterson

 

Scott Samuel Patterson, age 62, passed away unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.  Scott loved spending time with his family, playing and talking with his pets, laughing at a good joke, going for a run or to the gym each morning, and reading historical books quietly in the evenings.

 

Scott was born on December 8, 1960, in Weirton, West Virginia, to Delbert “Pat” C. Patterson and Helen M. (Leidner) Patterson.  While growing up, Scott loved the trips that he took with his parents each summer, particularly those to historical battle fields and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  These trips instilled in him not only a zest for adventure and travel, but also a love of history.

 

After graduating from Brooke High School, Wellsburg, West Virginia, in 1979, Scott attended the University of West Virginia, Morgantown, West Virginia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography in 1983.  Subsequently, Scott attended West Liberty University, West Liberty, West Virginia, where he earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in late 1984.  After taking a few courses towards his Masters degree in Business Administration, Scott was offered a position with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in January 1986.  This would be the beginning of a 37-year career with the Federal government, 35 of which were spent with the FDIC.

 

During his time with the FDIC, Scott worked as a Bank Examiner in the Orange County, California, and Syracuse, New York, Field Offices; was promoted to Team Leader while working in the Pasadena, California, Field Office; and served as a Review Examiner and Senior Review Examiner after relocating to the Washington, D.C., Office.  While working in Washington, D.C., Scott analyzed problem bank cases, presented cases to the FDIC Board of Directors, became an expert regarding enforcement actions against problem bankers, and provided technical assistance to new and established co-workers.  Scott’s calm demeanor and extensive technical knowledge made him a valuable resource to many people at all levels within the Division of Risk Management Supervision.

 

When Scott relocated to Washington, D.C., in January 1998, he met Patricia “Patti” Ryan, who also worked for the FDIC.  The two agreed that when their hands met during their first introduction, it was love at first sight.  Scott and Patti packed years of conversation into three and a half months and were engaged in May 1998.  The two married just over a year later in May 1999, in Vienna, Virginia.  Scott introduced Patti to Walt Disney World during their honeymoon, and the theme parks became one of their favorite destinations, especially after the birth of their son, Jackson, in 2002.

 

Walt Disney World wasn’t the only traveling that Scott completed during his lifetime.  In the summer of 1997, Scott traveled to Africa for a safari where he enjoyed the people, customs, and food, and took some spectacular photographs of the scenery and wild animals.  In 2000, Scott and Patti traveled to Australia shortly after the Summer Olympics, and enjoyed three weeks traveling between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Cairns.  While in Adelaide touring the Ayres House, Scott and Patti were invited to sit, drink champagne and eat strawberries and clotted cream, and watch the running of the Queen’s Cup.  And while in Cairns, Scott and Patti took a boat to the Great Barrier Reef and spent three days and two nights exploring the undersea world.  The couple had many, many other incredible trips — London, Paris, and Montreal to name a few, but the best trips were as a family.  Skiing in Utah, Colorado, and Montreal; attending the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia; and countless trips to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.  In 2019, Scott and Jackson also traveled to Normandy, France, to visit the World War II battle sites in anticipation of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and then continued on to Reykjavik, Iceland, because Scott had always wanted to see the puffins, fjords, and thermal springs in person.  It was the trip of a lifetime.

 

Scott’s other family members, whom he dearly loved, were his pets.  His first cat, a calico named “Callie,” was his princess for 13 years.  After she passed away, he adopted an older cat named “Kiki.”  Jackson didn’t think the name fit the little Munchkin Tuxedo cat, so her name was changed to “Hostess.”  Hostess was Scott’s constant companion for eight years until 2022.  In 2021, Scott rescued a 2-year old Blue Tick Coon Hound/Beagle mix named “Peggy.”  Peggy’s adoration of Scott was returned ten-fold.

 

Scott was so looking forward to retiring and moving to Bradenton, Florida, where he planned to play golf, swim, run, grill steaks in his new outdoor kitchen, take Peggy on long walks, and “live the good life” with Patti.

 

Scott is survived by his wife, Patti; his son, Jackson; his brother-in-law, Timothy Ryan (Bennington, Nebraska); and numerous cousins and friends.

 

Although no funeral service will be held, at Scott’s request, a celebration of life gathering will take place in the Herndon/Reston/Ashburn, Virginia, area at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Scott’s memory to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (www.toysfortots.org).