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Vanza and Frank Patterson |
Francis Oliver
“Frank” Patterson, Sr. passed into the waiting arms of His Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ on July 31, 2015. Frank was born June 25, 1940, in Blairsville,
Union County, Georgia, the fourth child of Wilma Lee Stephens and Clinton
Willie Patterson. Raised on a farm in the north Georgia mountains, Frank moved
with his family at age 10 to High Point, NC. He was a graduate of High Point
Central High School, Class of ’59. At age 16, Frank recognized his need to
place his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his one and only means of
salvation. The desire to please his Saviour would become the major driving
force in his life. He joined the US Air Force in April, 1960, and was
discharged in January, 1964 having served in Brunswick, Maine and then later
Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. He met the love of his life in 1961 when
visiting his father in the hospital in High Point, NC. Vanza Davis was his
father’s nurse, but a year later would become his bride, on June 1
st,
1962. Frank and Vanza were married in Trinity, NC, around the time of his
transfer to Seymour Johnson AFB. They had two sons, the eldest being Francis O.
Patterson Jr (Chip) was born on May 27, 1963 in Goldsboro, NC. The younger was
Charles Wesley Patterson (Wes), born February 5, 1968 in Decatur, GA, a suburb
of Atlanta. Frank’s early career endeavors involved insurance sales, and
furniture sales. However, in 1971, Frank and Vanza moved the family from
Tucker, Ga to Winston-Salem, NC for him to attend Piedmont Bible College. Their
hearts’ desire was to serve the Lord in any capacity, and eventually this led
them to become missionaries on foreign fields. Frank spent a few weeks in
Israel during the early ‘70’s with a team from Piedmont Bible College. In the
summer of 1975, he and Vanza spent seven weeks in Brazil, believing that was
where the Lord was leading them to serve full time. Frank graduated from
Piedmont in 1976, and the family moved back to Decatur, Ga. In 1979, the family
moved to the southeast Asian country of Bangladesh, arriving there on the 4
th
of July. He was involved predominantly in the government liaison work in those
early years, but was also very involved in teaching and discipling young
believers. By the mid ‘80’s he oversaw the planning, development and opening of
a hospital in the northwestern part of the country near the town of Natore,
Bangladesh. That hospital continues to thrive to this day. Frank and Vanza
retired from service there in 1993, but continued working in local churches and
colleges as the Lord opened doors. Occasionally, Frank made trips for months at
a time to foreign countries to teach in Bible colleges, as his heart’s desire
was to train young believers to study the Bible and continue the work in their
own lands among their own people, as he believed the work was always greater
than himself, and should be able to continue without him. Countries that Frank
invested himself personally into the lives of men and women for that very
purpose, include Myanmar (formerly Burma), Ukraine, India, Iraq (in 2008), and
Colombia. The first three of those included multiple stints of service, all of
which were three to four months at a time. Frank loved to teach, and he loved
to learn, and he did both to his dying days. He received two masters degrees,
and his doctorate (DMin) from Liberty University, the latter of which occurred
in 2005 at the age of 65. He also served as the Alumni Coordinator of Piedmont
Bible College, as well as several years of teaching at Calvary Baptist Bible
College & Seminary in King, NC. He developed curricula for many purposes,
most of which involved courses for use in churches and colleges. For many years
he served the elderly saints in the several churches in which he and Vanza
attended. Frank loved his family more than life. He always made over his
grandchildren especially. Frank is survived by his bride and the love of his
life Vanza, two sons Francis Oliver Patterson, Jr. “Chip” and wife Jully,
Lynchburg, Va., and Charles Wesley Patterson, Sr. “Wes” and wife Ginna,
Winston-Salem, NC; three grandchildren, Morgan Muszall and husband Shane, Wes
Patterson Jr., and Kaity McCormick and husband Jayme; one sister Jean Kilstrom,
Grayson, Ga.; one brother Derral Patterson and wife Frankie, Loganville, Ga.; one
special nephew George Lee Davis Jr., Lexington, NC, and numerous nieces and
nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two brothers, Baxley
and Kenneth. The funeral will be held at Salem Baptist Church, 429 South Broad
Street, Winston-Salem, NC, on Monday, August 3
rd at 2:00 PM, with
visitation prior to the service from noon to 2:00. Burial will be at Forsyth
Memorial Park following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent
to the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, 101 Hospice Ln, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.