Obituary of Nadine Violet Patterson

Nadine Patterson of Salem, Oregon, passed away Saturday, May 30, 2020, at her home in Salem surrounded by family. She was born May 7, 1928, to William Sporalsky and Mable Armstrong Sporalsky in Tillamook, Oregon. She, her brother Gerald William and her parents survived the Great Depression and moved to Gervais, Oregon. There she was on the rally squad, May Day court, and year book staff at Gervais high school. After WWII, she married classmate Charles Patterson, who worked as logger, carpenter, farmer, & Salem fireman, and in the next six years gave birth to four daughters. A devoted parent, Nadine sewed all the clothes; cut and permed hair; canned fruit, vegetables, and meat; became a Girl Scout leader; learned to drive to take the girls to all their events; and made prom dresses and bridal and bridesmaids dresses and crafted wedding cakes for all four girls. She also spent her time gardening, playing board games with grandkids, and putting together jig-saw puzzles. She is especially remembered for the hundreds of pairs of slippers she knitted and hundreds of afghans she crocheted for friends and family every year for Christmas, weddings, and birthdays. As a family the Pattersons spent much of their free time away from home in the mountains and beaches of Oregon, camping and fishing along the scenic lakeshores and riversides. Nadine was especially interested in her family history and over time created well-researched and detailed genealogies for both sides of the family. She also kept shelves full of photo albums documenting the lives of her continually growing clan. She was also known as “Mom” to many more people in her life than just her own four children, sharing her home with anyone who needed her love. At the farm where they lived for 58 years, she and Chuck annually convened family reunions. These picnics with hotly contested softball games were “must attend” events for a guest list that at its peak included near a hundred attendees. In addition, Nadine kept in touch with classmates from high school all her life, lamenting in later years that she outlived nearly all of them. Nadine’s life is remembered and celebrated by her four daughters: Kathleen Allison, Jeannie Painter, Paula Buck and Patricia Glascock and their husbands Gregg Allison, Gary Buck, and Michael Hall as well as by grandchildren; Brycen Allison, Brenton (Meredith) Allison, Barton Allison, Breia (Paul) Alderson, Brittanie (Chris) McMullen, Kelly (Ashley) Painter, Travis Painter, and eight great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews and a legion of lifelong friends. A small family-only memorial will be held at her home at a later date.