Alvin Pat Patterson

Alvin R. Patterson, longtime Ames resident, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2025 at the age of 103. Alvin was born in Ida Grove, Iowa on August 28, 1921. He attended elementary school in Ida Grove and junior high and high school in Billings, Montana. After graduation he attended Eastern Montana for two years and then taught one year in a rural school near Forsyth Montana where he had seven students spanning five different grades. That job was cut short when our country became involved in World War II. He enlisted in the Army and after basic training was sent to the 8th Armored Division. He was pulled from the 8th and was sent to the Army Specialized Training Program in psychology at Ohio University. Shortly after he was sent to a similar program at the University of Maryland. That program was shut down and he was sent to the Signal Intelligence Corp at Warrington, Virginia. While there he was trained in cryptography and subsequently sent to Brisbane, Australia where he worked with other soldiers from England, Canada, New Zealand and Australia to decode captured messages from the Japanese military. He was later transferred to Manila until Japan surrendered. He was then sent in...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

Japan at Tokyo near General McArthur's headquarters and was discharged about a year later in January 1946. Alvin returned to LeMars, Iowa where he had family and attended Westmar College to complete his bachelors degree. He then began teaching English and speech in Sioux Center, Iowa where he met and married Harriet Coleman, the home economics teacher, on August 8th, 1948. They moved to Luverne, Minnesota where he taught English and literature for seven years during which he and Harriet were blessed with two daughters, Janet and Carol. During summer breaks from teaching he took advantage of the GI Bill to complete graduate work at the University of Colorado and later the University of Iowa. He earned a double masters degree in Special Education and was certified in Speech Therapy, Psychology and Special Education Administration. The family then moved to Emmetsburg where he started a Special Education program for the schools in Palo Alto County. Subsequently a move was made to Ames where he headed up similar programs under the Heartland Education Agency in the northern zone covering Boone and Story County until his retirement in 1984. He also taught off campus Special Ed classes for Drake and Buena Vista Universities during his time at Heartland. Special Education was in it's beginning stages at this time and he was a strong advocate for children with disabilities. After retirement he enjoyed volunteer work and wintering in Arizona and visits to his daughter in San Diego, California. Alvin and Harriet were members of First United Methodist Church and he was a member of Ames Kiwanis for several years. "Pat" was also a member of the Iowa Education Association council for exceptional children. He and Harriet were on the organizing committee to help plan and open the Windsor Oaks community in Ames and moved in upon completion in 2000. They later joined the Northridge Village community in September of 2015. Alvin (Pat) Patterson was preceded in death by his wife Harriet. He is survived by daughter Janet (Greg) Glaser, daughter Carol (Jeff) Waters, grandchildren Michael (Megan Glaser), Torin (Danelle) Waters, Derek Waters and great grandchildren Emma and Maren Glaser, and Lenora and Jensen Waters. A private family service will be held at a later date.