Ronald Sheridan Patten

1932 - 2025

Ronald Sheridan Patten
05/24/1932 - 09/12/2025
Ronald Patten, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully by his wife's side in San Mateo, California. He was 93 years old.
A fourth-generation Californian, Ron was raised in Pasadena, California, with his parents, George Downing Patten and Ruth Pageler Patten, along with his brother, Richard (deceased), and sister, Virginia (Kantor).
Ron attended Alhambra High School, where he met his future wife, Sally (Cooper) Patten, with whom he has shared 73 years of marriage.
He went on to earn his B.A. from Occidental College, where he also competed on the swim team and was a member of the ATO Fraternity. After college, Ron was expected to take over the family business, Patten and Blinn Lumber Company; however, the company liquidated before he could assume management. Determined to chart a new course, he earned an MBA from Stanford University. Upon graduation, his first job was at Security Bank in Southern California. In 1962, he joined John K. Stewart, eventually forming Stewart and Patten, an investment management company. His life's work was not only in building the business but also in creating deep and lasting relationships - both professional and personal. Those who knew him valued his wisdom and integrity. Though he spent more time traveling throughout the country and abroad in his later years, Ron continued working in the office until 2018, officially retiring at the age of 86.
Outside of his professional career, Ron embraced life with a spirit of adventure and a deep love of the outdoors. He was an avid fly fisherman, tennis player, gardener, and duck hunter–though the greatest joy of the hunt was always the companionship of his beloved English Setters. He passed on his enthusiasm for camping, backpacking, hiking, fishing, and bodysurfing to his children and grandchildren. Some of our fondest memories come from our backpacking trips in the Sierras, where he taught us how to spot constellations, build a fire, follow trail markers, and fly fish for trout. We can still picture him leading us up steep switchbacks, reassuring us that the destination was "just around the bend"–though it never was!
Above all, Ron treasured his family. He is survived by his wife, Sally, and their three children–David Patten (Bernadette), Linda Montgomery, and Cynthia Murner (Joseph). His grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, and colleagues will remember him for his humor, warmth, and generosity. To the youngest in the family, he will forever be known as "the tickle monster" and a legendary pancake maker. Ron leaves behind a legacy of warmth and joy that will be carried in the hearts of all who knew him.
Services will be private.