John Patton

Patton, John

John Thomas Patton, Sr., 82, of Springfield passed away on October 14, 2025 following a 6-month long battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor. John was born in Dayton, OH on December 30, 1942, the son of Joe T and Ruth (Morell) Patton. John married the love of his life, Deb Burson Patton, on June 3rd, 1978. Together they raised 7 children, Belinda (Steve) Stickle, Debbie (Bill) Smith, Pam (Chad) Tamplin, Stephanie (Matt) Grogg, Sheryl Patton (fiancé Andy Cornwell), Jeff Patton and John Jr. (Laura Osseck) Patton, all of whom survive him. John is also survived by 16 grandchildren, who were the lights of his life, Ashley (Shane) Welborne, Kayla (Alan) Smith, Jacob Stickle, Abby, Andrew, Alex and Ashton Tamplin, Tyler, Trevor, Hannah and Haley Grogg, Mackenzie Gieszl, Jackson and Brody Patton and Evelyn and Owen Patton. Also surviving are two precious great granddaughters, Hallie and Sadie Welborne. Additionally, John is survived by his mother-in-law Marge Cozad, brothers-in-law Mark (Brenda) Burson and David Burson, sister-in-law Sandy Patton, special nieces Cheyann (Craig) Conley, Melissa Vigil & Tracee Patton, nephews Thom Willems & Jim Patton, his dog Ozzy and his best buddy, John Scott. Preceding John in death were his parents, sister Patty Rich and brother Joe E Patton. John was a graduate of Patterson Co-operative High School and Ohio University class of 1966. It pleased him that 4 of his 16 grandchildren followed him to become Bobcats themselves. One of the proud moments in John's life was obtaining the Eagle Scout award when he was 16 years old and it pleased him so much when his grandson Jacob received his. He loved scouting and camping and the outdoors. He and Deb took their family on many camping trips, usually in the rain, and made many memories of camping, fishing and fending off the occasional skunk or raccoon! Family vacations were another source of fun and memories. In their retirement years, John & Deb loved traveling to Europe, Costa Rica, Aruba and especially Hawaii, and spending the winters in their Punta Gorda, FL condo. John loved his job at Kreider Corporation where he served as VP and GM for 35 years. He also loved the people he worked with, many of whom looked to him as a father figure. His patient nature and care made him a good leader. Our family would be remiss if we did not thank our son/brother/uncle John Jr., MD, PhD, for his invaluable guidance, care, love and time during his dad's illness. Having his expertise was a true godsend to our entire family. Additionally, thank you to our daughter-in-law Laura, for her help with navigating insurance, attending every appointment and making sure we had a comfortable space to stay in their home during treatment. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Landing at Littleton & Rue Funeral Home on October 26th from 1-3 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Pelotonia (www.pelotonia.org/profile/JP0034) in John's name. All donations go directly to cancer research at the James Cancer Hospital. Whether we called him Honey, Dad, Grandpa, Papaw, Pops, Pappy, Senior, Brother, Uncle or friend, we will all miss him terribly. He gave us a great example to live by. To view his memorial video or to leave online condolences, please visit our website at www.littletonandrue.com.