29 Aug 1943 – 28 Jan 2010
2nd-Great-grandson of Catherine Cardon and Moses Byrne
Great-grandson of Joseph Walter Byrne and Winnifred Lenore Mumford
Grandson of Ralph Lafayette Byrne and Effie Gladys Garrett
Son of Ada Evelyn Byrne and Arlie Ray Patton
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Ray Patton passed away January 28, 2010. A Celebration of his life will be held January 30th, 2010, at the Hillcrest Memorial Center, 9353 W. Clearwater, Kennewick, WA, at 4:00 p.m.
Ernie was born August 29, 1943, one of two children to Ada and Arlie Patton in Baker City, OR. He was a loving father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend. His fanaticism for golf was legendary and he traveled extensively in the western U.S. to find his perfect game. Ernie spent his childhood and a large portion of his adult life in Baker City. He graduated from Baker High School in 1962 and entered the Army National Guard that summer. Ernie married his first wife, Barbara (Rosales) Patton that same year. They had two sons, Jeff and Tony. In 1968, Ernie joined Cascade Natural Gas Corporation as a backhoe operator and spent the rest of his working career with them. In 1988, he moved to Sunnyside, WA, to be District Manager and in 2004 he ended his career as the Eastern Regional Director out of Kennewick.
Ernie was a longtime member of Baker Elks Lodge 338, joining in the early 1970s and serving as the Exalted Ruler in 1975. In 2001, Ernie married the love of his life, Esmeralda (Arteaga) Patton, and they moved to Kennewick, where they made their home. He loved spending the mornings working his crossword puzzles.
He will forever be remembered in the hearts of his families and missed by his many friends. Ernie was easy with a smile, quick with his wit and generous with his love. The world was a better place with him in it.
Ernie is survived by his wife, Esmeralda Patton; his brother Roger Patton; his two sons and their wives, Jeff and Diana Patton of Dallas, TX, and Tony and Elizabeth Patton of Vancouver, WA. His lifelong friend, Barbara Patton, and The Rosaleses. Stepchildren: Teresa Arteaga, Kevin & Jill Arteaga, Anthony Arteaga. Grandchildren: Anastacia Patton, Andrew Ashcraft, Kaitlyn Read, Nathan Patton, Kennedy Patton, Joshua Patton, Troy Patton, Dominique Arteaga. Great-grandchild: Jeremiah Read.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Red Cross for Haiti Relief.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.HillcrestMemorialCenter.com.
-Published in the Tri-City Herald on January 30, 2010