Gerard B. Patton

Gerard “Jerry” Patton, 89, beloved husband, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather, passed away at Connecticut Hospice in Branford on Monday, August 29, 2022 following a long illness. He was born in Yonkers, NY on January 17, 1933, the youngest of five sons, to the late John Patton and Mae (McCormack) Patton. After high school and service in the United States Coast Guard, he married his childhood sweetheart, Barbara “Diane” Doebler, on January 3, 1953. Jerry earned an engineering degree from UConn, and moved to Milford in 1959 where he resided the rest of his life. In 1965 he changed careers and joined Russ Clarke Real Estate; he took over the agency upon Mr. Clarke's retirement in 1970, renaming it Clarke & Patton Realtors. His professional career included a proud five terms representing Milford in the Connecticut General Assembly, where his legacy included a law mandating sprinklers in convalescent homes and senior housing projects. Jerry was a candidate for Congress in 1988. While his campaign fell short, he was proud of the opportunity it provided to meet Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush – one of his treasured mementos is a photo of Jerry and Diane with George and Barbara taken in Kennebunkport, Maine. A love of travel and a curiosity in the greater world led Jerry and Diane to travel widely - they visited dozens of countries, fascinated by all of the different communities and cultures to be found on earth. But his proudest accomplishments came outside of politics and business. He helped develop Milford's first homeless shelter. He joined efforts to preserve Milford's history – first with the Milford Memories Project, depositing dozens of video interviews of distinguished local elders with the Milford Public Library, and he enlisted other equally dedicated local citizens in the founding of the Milford Hall of Fame, serving as its first Chairman. (The HOF is found in the town's Parson's Complex.) Besides his wife, Jerry is survived by daughter Cynthia Vere and her husband Wayne; son Kevin Patton; daughter Susan Fox and her husband Robert; son Kerry Patton and his companion Susan McGuire; and daughter Cheryl Patton. He leaves nine grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Richard. Family and friends are invited to gather on Friday, September 2, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Cody White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street in Milford. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow that day at 12:30 p.m. at Saint Mary Church, 70 Gulf St., Milford. He will then be laid to rest in St. Mary's Cemetery, Buckingham Ave., Milford. To view the full obituary and leave online condolences, please visit our website at www. codywhitefuneralservice. com.