Thomas Earl Patton III's Obituary
Thomas Earl Patton, III passed away peacefully on the morning of January 2, 2024, in McLean, Virginia. He led a life full of accomplishment, service, and love.
Tom was born on November 25, 1940, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Thomas Earl Patton, Jr., was an army doctor and surgeon who ran mobile army hospital units during World War II, eventually achieving the rank of Colonel and becoming the Surgeon General of the Army. His mother, Alice Rodarmel, was a nurse and homemaker. Tom, along with his sister, Sue Patton Krolick, were classic army brats in the 1940s and 50s, travelling frequently as their father moved from base to base. Stops included San Antonio, Texas; Heidelberg and Munich, Germany (where Tom became an Eagle Scout); and Arlington, Virginia. Arlington is where Tom spent his last three years in high school, graduating from Wakefield High School in 1958. Virginia was the place he most considered home, and it is where he would spend most of his life.
He attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C. where he was the student body president and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1962. He continued at Catholic University for law school where he became the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduated first in his class in 1965. After graduating, he set off for New York City and began his legal career at Sullivan & Cromwell. He married his college sweetheart, Patricia Mann Patton, but the marriage was tragically cut short when she died in a car accident while they were vacationing in France. In 1969, he married Dana Haskell Patton. They moved from New York to Washington, D.C. where Tom took a job working with the legendary trial lawyer Edward Bennett Williams at Williams & Connolly. In 1970 Tom and Dana had a son, David. They divorced shortly thereafter but remained friends throughout Tom’s life. In 1974, he married Barbara Wood Patton. They were married for 30 years, living together in McLean Virginia, and raising David. They remained close after divorcing.
One of Tom’s greatest accomplishments was achieving sobriety in 1976. At the time of his death, he had been sober for more than 47 years. It was a great source of strength and a means of service for him. He achieved and maintained his sobriety through his participation in Alcoholics Anonymous, attending multiple meetings every week. In 1981, he was a founder of the D.C. Bar’s assistance program for lawyers suffering from alcoholism. It has helped thousands of people get and stay sober. He attended his last AA meeting via Zoom with one of his regular Mclean groups on Saturday, December 23, just a little more than a week before his death. His son, David, has been told by many of the people he sponsored how much he meant to them. One said to him after Tom’s passing: “Tom was a special man. He saved my life.” It was a sentiment shared by many.
Tom was also deeply committed to his Catholic faith. He was a parishioner at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Mclean for over 45 years. He attended mass weekly, and during his working years in Washington D.C., he was a daily communicant at St. Matthews downtown. He attended an online mass the day before he died.
Tom was a widely respected and talented trial lawyer, who after spending many years as a partner in the D.C. office of Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, opened his own firm, Tighe, Patton, Tabackman & Babin. One of his proudest moments was obtaining an acquittal in 1995 together with his partner Steve Tabackman for the former director of the White House Travel Office, Billy Dale, who was wrongly accused of embezzlement. The case attracted widespread media attention and was a great launching pad for the new firm. The firm went through various iterations during its 25 years of existence, but Tom remained active in his law practice until his retirement in 2021. He was famous for arriving at his desk by 5:00 a.m. every morning.
His son David will remember him best for their times together on Sundays at RFK Stadium during the glory years of the then Washington Redskins in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. They sat in the old Williams & Connolly section of the stadium surrounded by friends and colleagues. Those times, along with regular jogs along the C&O Canal towpath and walks and talks around the neighborhood were particularly special. He was a great father and mentor.
Tom is survived by his sister Sue Krolick of Naperville, IL, his son, David Patton of New York City, and his ex-wives, Dana and Barbara Patton, who remained close to him. Tom lived a good life and helped many others lead better lives. He loved and was loved. He will be dearly missed.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Friday, January 12, 2024, at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg, VA. Interment will follow in Union Cemetery, Leesburg, VA, and a reception will follow the interment. At the reception guests are welcome to share brief remembrances.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Oxford House, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sober living environments. The organization was founded by Tom’s close friends from Catholic University Paul and Jane Molloy. Donations can be made here: https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=521582231
You can read about Oxford House here: https://www.oxfordhouse.org/index
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
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