Denny Gay Patterson

Her life was a testament to resilience, faith, and love.
Denise Gay Patterson (Jones), also known as Denny, Denny Gay or Dee Gee was born in Hillsboro, Texas in 1946. She passed away December 28th, 2025, at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas after a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family. She was the daughter of Doris Breeding Jones and James Edward Jones.
Denny Gay grew up in Waco, Texas, where she attended Richfield High School. She later attended Texas Tech University and majored in English. While at Texas Tech, she met and married Daniel Selwyn Patterson. The couple later divorced, after which Denny Gay moved back to her hometown of Waco to be near her parents and raise her daughter, Tiffany.
In Waco, Denny Gay began what would become a long and successful career in radio advertising sales. Known for her strong work ethic, sharp mind, determination, and ability to connect with people, she built a thriving career in sales. Her independence and drive shaped a successful professional life that spanned decades. She later moved to Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas, and eventually settled in Dallas, Texas, where she continued her career.
She loved to travel and explore the world. During her daughter's growing-up years, she prioritized vacations as time to explore the world, especially a good beach, and spend time with Tiffany. She continued her love of travel after Tiffany left home for college, traveling still with Tiffany and many different friends over the years. Many of her favorite adventures were shared with her close friend and college roommate, Gayle.
She enjoyed shopping, playing bridge and board games, attending musicals and movies, and listening to music. In her later years, she returned to playing bridge, a pastime she greatly enjoyed. Denny Gay loved concerts and passed that love along to her daughter, taking her to many concerts over the years. She also loved dining out, savoring good food, good wine, and good company.
She adored her cats over the years and rarely went long without one in her home.
Her faith was an important part of her life. Denny Gay raised her daughter in the church and participated in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for many years. Her faith in Jesus remained steady and grew even stronger over time, especially following her cancer diagnosis. In those later years, she also spent several years volunteering as a greeter at Children's Hospital, where she warmly welcomed families and brought comfort and kindness to those she encountered.
In later years, she was known to her grandchildren as Dee Gee. She loved taking them to the movies, shopping with them, playing games, and talking with them about their lives. She had a deep bond with each of them and created many special memories.
Denny Gay was preceded in death by her parents, Doris Breeding Jones and James Edward Jones, and her younger brother, James Breeding Jones.
She is survived by her daughter, Tiffany Wilkins, her son-in-law, Garth Wilkins, her beloved grandchildren, Vlad Wilkins and Sasha Wilkins and her nephew Justin.