Mary Patterson

Patterson, Mary
Mary Ryder McPherson Patterson passed away Sunday, June 21st, 2015 in Wilton, CT. Mary was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey to Chauncey Ryder McPherson and Grace Aline Finlay McPherson. She was brought up in Bernardsville, N.J. and attended Gill St. Bernard's School and Vassar College, where she received a Bachelor's in English. In 1954, she married Alexander Evans Patterson, Jr. Together, Mary and Alex enjoyed 60 years of marriage. They were residents of Greenwich for 50 years.
Mary was well known for her uncanny ability and affinity with the plant world, and under her care, all things green flourished to their full magnificence. Her love, knowledge and dedication to horticulture was remarkable and she served in important leadership positions at both Greenwich Hortulus and the Garden Club of America. Mary joined Hortulus in 1967 and was President from 1977 to 1979. She won numerous awards, including; the GCA Zone Award for Creative Leadership (1992), awarded only 5 times in 30 years to a Hortulus member, for "outstanding and unusual talent in the field of leadership exemplifying continued judgment and initiative;" the Hortulus Horticulture Award (2003) "in recognition of her long standing love of horticulture and gracious willingness to share that extensive knowledge with others;" and the Hortulus Achievement Award (1981) for her comprehensive design for the playground area of Gateway School. She was made honorary member of Hortulus in 1997. For the Garden Club of America, Mary served as Zone II Chairman (1980-1982), Vice President (1991-1993), and held various positions on numerous committees from 1988-2004, including Conservation, Partners for Plants, Horticulture, Nominating, Directors and Admissions. She was made GCA Judge Emeritus Horticulture in 2010 after judging flower shows around the country for many years.
Mary's nurturing capacities extended beyond the plant world, as she tended to the needs of her husband, family and friends, with the same passion, care and devotion. In the dedication to his book, A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols, her husband wrote, "To Mary…roommate, friend, bedroll warmer, map and proofreader, rock art finder, plant lady, keeper of the "nice", mother of four, grandmother of two, and loving wife of thirty-seven years." Equally at home on the back of a tractor, or at the head of the table dressed to the nines, having single-handedly cooked another gourmet dinner, Mary was forever the gracious, warm, welcoming hostess attentive to everyone.
Mary leaves behind not only four children (Alex, Joan, Wynne and Jill), and two grandchildren (Alex IV and Daniel), but scores of beautiful gardens she designed with her business, Patterson Landscape Design, in Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Bedford and Katonah.
It should be noted that Mary passed on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, as well as, Father's Day, making a gift of herself to her dear husband who predeceased her by 89 days. Alexander Evans Patterson, Jr. passed on March 24, 2015.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greenwich Tree Conservancy, PO Box 4215, Greenwich, CT 06831.
Services and interment will be held at 1:30pm, Sunday, July 12th at St. Barnabas Church, 954 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, CT followed by a gathering of friends and family at the Field Club of Greenwich, 276 Lake Avenue.