Mary Gertrude (Slipp) Patterson passed away peacefully at the Upper River Valley Hospital in Woodstock, NB, on July 15, 2015, at the age of 97. Born in Woodstock on March 23, 1918, Mary was the second child of Arthur L. Slipp and Beulah C. (McAllister) Slipp.
A lifelong resident of Northampton and Woodstock, Mary was the wife of Wendall N. Patterson who predeceased her in 1979. Her father passed away unexpectedly when she was just 17. Mary remained at home to help manage a large household of 6 younger children and extended family members, and assisted her mother in carrying on her father’s fur export business for many years. At the same time, she continued to be an exceptional student, and graduated from Woodstock High School and Carleton County Vocational School with high marks. Eventually she taught commercial subjects at the Vocational School, including accounting, grammar and office practice, where she was respected by colleagues and students alike for her high professional standards and business acumen. When the school later became a community college, she became supervisor of the commercial department, a position she held until her retirement in 1984. Mary was a lifelong member of the Woodstock United Baptist Church, and a faithful member of the Helen Good Missionary Circle. She was a talented pianist and played not only at the Mission Circle meetings but was known to have played her own piano as recently as a month before her passing.
Mary loved and appreciated the wonders of nature in all its seasons. In the early years of her marriage, she lived at “the cottage” on the river in Northampton with her young family, where she was a legend amongst the salmon anglers at Patterson’s Pool. She kept horses there, and was an accomplished rider. In later years, she continued to live at the old Slipp home on Union Street, and treasured her time at her farm and the Slipp camp in Kilmarnock, all happy gathering places for family and friends.
Mary is survived by her daughters Susan B. Quinn (Michael) of Saint John, NB, and Heather M. Price (Blake) of Woodstock, NB, and was the beloved “Grandmary” to her nine grandchildren, Shannon Patterson-Isbister, Christina (Patterson) Kirker, Carter Stone, Beverly (Stone) Richardson, Steven Quinn, Gregory Quinn, Trudi (Price) Kennedy, William Price and Wendell Price, and 13 great grandchildren, all of whom knew and cherished her. As well, Mary is survived by one sister, Charlotte Young of Brockway, her sister- in-law Lydia Slipp of Tucson, Arizona, and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, Mary was predeceased by her son Dr. Arthur H. Patterson, and her daughter Ann Louise Stone; her sisters Pauline Forrest, Ruth Fewer and Shirley Anne Smith; her brothers Whitfield, Robert, and David Slipp and her dear friend, Bea (Craig) Johns.
Visitation will take place at Scott Funeral Home, 815 Main Street, Woodstock on Saturday, July 18th from 2 to 4, and 7 to 9 pm.
The funeral service will be held at the Woodstock United Baptist Church at 1 o’clock on Sunday, July 19th, with the Rev. Leonard Cousins and Rev. Craig Woodcock officiating. Interment will take place at the Kirk in Northampton immediately following the service.
For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Kirk Cemetery Fund Committee or a charity of the donor’s choice.