Mrs. Sarah Ann Patton

Reflections of a Life Well-Lived

Sarah Ann Patton was born August 12, 1938, in St. Louis, MO. She was the fifth eldest of six children, born to the union of William Betts and Alma Lake, both of Mississippi. She departed this life on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the age of 85. Both parents, one sister (Alice), and three brothers Irving, Albert, and William preceded her in death.

In 1963, Sarah was united in holy matrimony to her best friend and the love of her life, Joseph Earl Patton of Brooklyn, NY. Sarah and Joe remained married for 50 years until he died in 2013. Their union was blessed with three daughters, Debbie, Jodi, and Lori.

Sarah accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at Eastern Star Baptist Church. She later became a charter member of Union Tabernacle (UT) Missionary Baptist Church. As a decades-long member of UT, Sarah was a faithful tither and remained active on the Health Unit for several years. More recently, she became a member of the Mother’s Board 

Sarah attended St. Louis Public Schools and graduated from Vashon High School in 1956. She then pursued a career in nursing and graduated as a registered nurse in 1959 from The Homer G. Phillips School of Nursing (certified in 1960). Sarah was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college.  She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from McKendree College in 1980 and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Saint Louis University with a specialty in gerontological nursing in 1987.

During her nursing career, she worked at Jewish Hospital and Christian Welfare Hospital for several years before transitioning to the Veterans Administration Hospital. She worked for the VA Medical Center for the remainder of her career, first at the John Cochran Medical Center in St. Louis and then later at the VA Medical Center at Jefferson Barracks where she retired in 2001. Sarah held multiple leadership roles, most notably Nurse Manager, Head Nurse, Nursing Supervisor, and Nursing Clinical Instructor. Upon retirement, she continued to work as a part-time nurse given her commitment to providing quality care. She was compassionate, skilled, and the epitome of nursing excellence! In 2010, she was recognized by the Missouri State Board of Nursing for having served as a registered nurse for over 50 years.

Sarah enjoyed traveling, bingo, trying her luck at the casino, bowling, and listening to music. She was an avid reader and loved studying the Bible. Sarah’s greatest joy was spending time with family, especially during the holidays. She was a soul food connoisseur and had one of the biggest hearts. She was incredibly giving and loved taking care of others.

She is survived by one sister, Delores Mars, as well as three daughters: Deborah Joanne Patton (Charles) and Jodi Lynne Jordan (LeAndre) both of St. Louis, MO and Lori Denise Patton Davis (Tobias) of Columbus, OH. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Sarah, Alison, Jalyn, Leah, Preston, and Parker, and a host of nieces, nephews, brothers – and sisters-in-law, and other relatives and friends. 

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