Benjamin Randall Patterson III

Benjamin Randall Patterson III, 85, died on October 9, 2025, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Ben was born August 5, 1940, in Springfield, Ohio to Benjamin Randall Patterson II and Anne Sullivan Patterson.
Ben came of age in Lexington, Kentucky where he attended parochial schools and graduated from Lexington Catholic High School in 1958. He attended the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and Captain of the UK track team in 1961 and 1962. He graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in History. From 1962–1967, Ben was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy where he served as a Supply Corp Officer aboard the USS John A. Bole and the Naval Air Station in Sanford, Florida. Following his Naval service, Ben attended the University of Florida where he earned his J.D. in 1969. While at the University of Florida, he was President of the John Marshall Bar Association and a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity.
Following law school, Ben first worked for the Florida Rural Legal Services in Belle Glade, Fla. Later Gov. Reuben Askew appointed him director of the newly formed Fla. Division of Labor and later worked for the Fla. Department of Health and Human Services. Other activities included serving as Executive Director of the Governor's Task Force on Worker's Compensation and Chair of the Florida Supreme Court Public Employee Rights Commission. When he left state government, Ben and Jerry Traynham founded the law firm of Patterson and Traynham. They represented various unions including the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Florida Association of State Troopers (FAST). He retired from the Fla. Bar in 2020.
Ben loved reading, especially non-fiction, chess, basketball, and weightlifting (often while listening to Shakespeare audiobooks). All who met him recognized his kind, caring, and thoughtful nature. Whether in court, in conversation, or just in his gentle presence, he had a way of making those around him feel heard and valued. His quiet but steady wisdom is an enduring source of strength and support for those in his life.
Ben was married to Julie Bond Meers from 1961 to 1974. He married Jeanne Boland on May 9, 1982. Ben is survived by his wife, Jeanne Boland Patterson; his four children, Leslie Carden Sedberry (John), Benjamin "Randall" Patterson IV (Lisa Gray), Lenore Bond-Patterson Ball (William), Lillian Frances Hamilton (George), and stepson Lynn Edward Boland (Katherine McQueen); and grandchildren Olivia Patterson, Allison Sedberry, Sarah Ball, Emily Ball, Joseph Patterson, George "Nash" Hamilton, William Ball, Caroline Sedberry, Elizabeth Ball, Meredith Ball, Lute Boland and Atley Boland. Ben is survived by his brother John Patterson (Jane) and their son Jay. Ben was predeceased by his brother Jimmy.
A visitation will be held at Bevis Funeral Home from 5:00–7:00 P.M. on October 26, 2025. The funeral will be held at St. Peter's Cathedral at 11:00 A.M. on October 27, 2025. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM at the Veterans Cemetery in Tallahassee. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter's Anglican Church or World Central Kitchen (https://www.wck.org).
Niki Carney of Bevis Funeral Home (www.bevisfh.com or 850-385-2193) is assisting the Patterson family with their arrangements.