David Mcduffie Patton Iii

David McDuffie Patton III Born July 8, 1928 in Mobile, Ala.; died June 19, 2017 in Rancho Cordova, Calif. at the age of 88. David Patton will be remembered by family and friends as a dedicated family man, devoted Catholic and veteran who served his country with pride. Born and raised in Mobile, Ala., during his youth David was an avid swimmer — so much so that he actually saved the lives of at least two people on separate occasions. He attended Heart of Mary grammar and high school in Mobile. During his college years, he attended Xavier University and Southern University in Louisiana. After graduating from Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration David joined the U.S. Army, served in the infantry and saw combat in the Korean War. He achieved the rank of sergeant first class. During his military travels in Tokyo, Japan, David picked up his first camera — a Zeiss Icon, which led to his future hobby as a photographer. After returning to the U.S. David married Onelia Moseby Patton, and they were married for 61 years until his death. He moved his family from Mobile to Rancho Cordova, Calif. in 1965 to take a civil service job at McClellan Air Force Base. David worked on the base for more than 30 years as an item manager, acquiring components and parts for Air Force planes. During his retirement years David pursued wildlife photography and was an active member of the local Sierra Club chapter. His photography skills garnered several awards from the Sierra Club and other organizations. David was known to spend many hours in the wilderness, shooting photos of plants and wildlife, and searching out rare animals like the Spotted Owl. He also was skilled at shooting photos of hummingbirds with stop-motion photography. David was a longtime congregant at St. John Vianney Church in Rancho Cordova, where he often assisted with collection and other services. In addition to his wife, David is also survived by son Marcus Patton and wife Belinda Patton of Galt, Calif.; son Stephen Patton and wife Julie Patton of Sacramento, Calif.; Eric Patton and wife Vilma Patton of Folsom, Calif.; and son Victor A. Patton and wife Connie Patton of Merced, Calif. He was the proud grandfather to seven grandchildren: Danielle, Jeffrey, Ryan, Nathan, Joshua, Veronica and Vanessa. He was preceded in death by father David Patton Jr., mother Harrie Lee Patton and brother Oscar Lebaron Patton.