Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2022 - Online Magazine
P. 14
LOCAL LEGENDS
The
Irreplaceable
TJ Patterson
A TRIBUTE
Compiled by Traci Payne
an overcomer in the best way and noise.’” The latter ended up on a
sought to live his life serving others, t-shirt that their congregation had
encouraging them, and building printed. Rev. Bean believed he lived
them up. this out by encouraging others to
listen to what the Spirit says and
“Not only was not just the chatter going on around
TJ Patterson them. He wanted people to find out
a great facts for themselves and not just
man to his listen to what the crowd was saying.
community,”
said Shirley Reverend Bean,
Cleveland, Mr. Floyd
“but he was Price, and
a beautiful Shirley Cleveland longtime friend,
here will never be another like family man. Reverend
him, and I could talk about I knew his wife really welI, and I Clifton Peoples,
Thim for 100 years!” Those adore his daughters and his son. all shared
were the words that Floyd Price They are a good upstanding family.” stories of going
shared about his friend, TJ Patterson, Pastor Bean with TJ to
who passed away on September 21, Ralph Hodge, a longtime friend the Lubbock
2022, at age 85. from his church, said TJ was always County Detention Center to minister
working to help people who had to inmates at Christmas.
If you ask his friends or family, or gotten off drugs. He would help
even do a quick online search of them get jobs, get into school, or get “Now that was an experience!” said
Mr. Patterson’s life, you discover scholarships, and he was always Reverend Peoples. “We prayed for a
that he was a giant of a man. He encouraging them. lot of people, and we’d be out there
was a veteran of the Vietnam War, three or four hours. He loved it!”
an advocate for kids and families TJ’s pastor, Reverend Adna Bean of
and neighborhoods, an activist who Bethel AME, agreed and shared that On the last Christmas they were able
believed in non-violent protests and he always had something positive to go (before COVID-19), the group
led marches against gangs, drugs, to say to people to encourage them. witnessed a Christmas surprise. As
and crime. He ran a newspaper “He had little one-liners like, ‘You they prayed for inmates, one young
and served in different capacities can’t see around the corner, but God man’s name was called out, and he
at Texas Tech University. He was can’ and ‘Always listen above the was released right then to go home.
14 Lubbock Senior Link
