Billie Loraine Blalock Patton

With heavy hearts and an abundance of gratitude, her family announces the passing of Billie Loraine Blalock Patton. She passed away peacefully on October 10, 2025, surrounded by family and love. Billie was born on October 4, 1929, in Trinidad, Texas, to John and Grace Ayers Blalock.

 Billie excelled as an honor student at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she graduated in 1947 after being recognized as the Best All-Round Honor Student. She attended Furman University, where she was a distinguished member of the senior order, Furman’s Honor Society. While at Furman, she met her one and only true love, Bob Patton, who was the captain of the Clemson Football Team. After graduating from Furman in 1951, and marrying in May of 1952, she and Bob began a life full of football and family. 

Billie began her teaching career while Bob finished college. Then they moved to New York City where she worked at Macy’s while he played for the New York Giants. Following an injury, Bob became a football coach and they began to move from place to place for his career. They first moved back to South Carolina, this time to Anderson where Debbie, Bob Jr., Cindy and Terri were born. Then they moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where their youngest, John, was born. After that, they moved to Morgantown, West Virginia, then back to South Carolina. Next they moved to Columbia, followed by Clemson and finally landed in Nashville, Tennessee, when Vanderbilt University hired a new football staff in 1967. This is where Billie planted her roots, creating a life full of community. 

Of all their joys, the greatest was the family Billie and Bob created. Together they parented five children. When Bob passed away on November 14, 1990, they had already created a beautiful lineage that grew even bigger thereafter. Billie continued to thrive independently as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She built deep connections and loving relationships with her children, 16 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren…with another one arriving soon. 

Billie worked as a school teacher, becoming one of the first special education teachers in 1964, which was when federal programming for special education in public schools began. She retired from teaching after 43 years. Although she retired, she never stopped working. As a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, she organized the Senior adult trips for 20 years. One of her joys was being on the Bereavement Committee, comforting families while walking through their grief. She felt so close to her church community. When her friends became too feeble to attend church, she would write to them and take them bags of goodies. This evolved into her writing a monthly newsletter to the homebound members of the church. She would not let the first of each month go by without sending out “her letter” with the last one being mailed on the day of her stroke.

Her life was blessed with the gift of friendship. Her friends were a joy to her and shared her sorrows and her happiness. After Bob’s death, her friends became her support. Each friend had special gifts and enriched her life by being companions in travel, beliefs, and faith. Her family blessed her life with care and love. Her favorite times were traveling with family; in fact, she was packed for a beach trip to celebrate her 96th birthday when she suffered a stroke. She was considered the “mascot” of the NCAA Women’s Final Four, which she attended regularly for more than 20 years, being loved by many of the coaches and administrators of that organization. 

Billie is survived by her children Debbie Patton Corum, Cindy Patton Waldrup (Jody), Terri Patton Borum (Lynn), John Patton (Donna), her daughter-in-law, Allison Raby Patton, and her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert H. Patton (Bob), and her son, Robert H. Patton, Jr. (Bob, Jr.).

 A service to honor her life will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church, 222 Belle Meade Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Visitation will be at the church from noon to 2:00 p.m. with the service beginning at 2:00pm. 

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either Immanuel Baptist Church Senior Adults (https://ibcnashville.org/contribute), or to Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tennessee (https://www.alivehospice.org/get-involved/give/).