Lewis Brooks Patterson (January 4, 1939 – August 3, 2019) was an American lawyer and politician who served as County Executive of

Oakland County, Michigan Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...

from 1992 until his death in 2019. While often controversial, he was known for the success of Oakland County and its AAA bond rating.

Education

Born in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, Patterson graduated from the

University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy was founded in 1877, and is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan, the other being Loyola High School. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, the sc ...

in 1957. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

from 1962 to 1964. He received a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the University of Detroit, and his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1967 from its law school. In 2005, he was Alumnus of the Year at his alma mater.

Career

Following Patterson's graduation from the University of Detroit, Patterson relocated to Oakland county. Eventually, he opened a law practice in Pontiac where he took segregationist advocate Irene McCabe as a client. During his time representing Irene McCabe, he became a vocal and polarizing advocate against integration in Pontiac schools. Following 16 years as the

Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the Civil law (legal system), civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the ...

of Oakland County, he was elected in 1992 to the office of County Executive. He was re-elected to a sixth term in 2012. During his years as County Executive, Patterson faced serious health problems, twice undergoing surgery to place stents to control blood flow and, in August 2012, being severely injured as the passenger in a car crash when his Cadillac was T-boned by a Volkswagen test car. The incident left him hospitalized for a month and then placed in a medical facility for physical rehabilitation. His driver was paralyzed. While in care in October 2012, Patterson dismissed claims that his injuries left him unfit to serve if reelected. Patterson often used a wheelchair due to the injuries he suffered in the accident. In March 2019 Patterson revealed he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and would not seek re-election the following year.

Personal life

Patterson and his wife divorced in 2002. In 2007, Patterson lost his son, Brooks Stuart Patterson, in a snowmobile accident and, later that year, lost his twin brother Stephen Patterson. In 2008, he established the Brooksie Way Half Marathon in memory of his son. The event is sponsored by local businesses and draws participants from the Oakland University campus and area residents. Patterson died on August 3, 2019. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier in the year. In July 2023, it was reported that Patterson's daughter, Mary Margaret Patterson, was weighing a run for Oakland County Executive.

References

*Binelli, Mark. ''Detroit City is the Place to Be''. Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company (New York). First Edition, 2012. (hardback version).

Notes

External links