Wilbur "Pat" Pattison

Wilbur Austin "Pat" Pattison, age 94, died at the Arbor at Riverside Lodge on Thursday, October 1, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. There is a Celebration of Life service at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Harlan, IA, on Monday, October 12th at 11:00 am. 

Interment will be at Harlan Cemetery at a later date. All Faiths Funeral Home of Grand Island is entrusted with arrangements. Memorials are suggested in Pat’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association or American Cancer Society.

Pat was born September 7, 1932, in McPherson, KS, the son of James Merit and Lora Estella (Rice) Pattison. He had four siblings, Max Gradinger, Rosemary Kasey, Eugene Pattison and LaVerne Pattison. 

He attended elementary and high school in McPherson, graduating from McPherson High School in May, 1950. He attended one year of college at McPherson College and then enlisted in the United States Naval Air. He served for two years, stationed at Pensacola, FL. After his honorable discharge, he attended Kansas State University, Manhattan, and received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1957.

On May 27, 1956, Pat married Ruthe Hetzler at St. Luke's Lutheran church in Manhattan. They moved to Denison, IA in June, 1957 where he was employed as Resident Construction Engineer for the Iowa Highway Commission (now called Dept. of Transportation). After 10 years, he became employed as General Manager for Western Engineering Co., and asphalt contractor in Harlan, IA and the family, now including two sons, Tom and Brad, moved to Harlan in June, 1967.Pat worked for Western Engineering in seven states, becoming vice-president and part owner by the time he retired in 1995, when he sold his share of the company back. 

He was a member of Kiwanis Club, and when it became apparent that their son, Tom, had Down’s Syndrome, he and Ruthe became active in obtaining community education and services for the mentally handicapped. He served as President of the Crawford County, Shelby County and Iowa state chapters of ARC. He was also a member of the Iowa Engineering Society and Immanuel Lutheran Church, where he served a term on the council.

Pat enjoyed woodworking and had his own "shop", filled with tools with which he also helped renovate a country schoolhouse near Denison where their son, Tom, started public trainable special education classes. Pat also helped rehab/remodel the homes of some other members of Immanuel Lutheran and other friends. He made several pieces of furniture for his family, could "fix" anything, and built a garage and storage shed for their vacation cabin, "Patspatch", in the Missouri Ozarks, where the family spent many happy times. He also helped many friends pour concrete driveways and do other repair jobs.

After retirement, he and Ruthe took many car trips around the United States and Canada, and a few bus tours with Ingham/Okoboji Bible Camp travelers, where they visited Alaska and Cancun. They also enjoyed attending conventions in Hawaii (4 times), Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Mesa, AZ and Dallas, TX. They were accompanied on many retirement trips by his closest friend-from-childhood, the late Vernon Dossett and wife, Tillie of McPherson, KS, where they would stop and play golf along the way. Pat and Ruthe also enjoyed hosting four weekend-long "Friends/Family Firecracker Festivals" in Harlan over the 4th of July with up to 40 guests.

In the fall Of 2015, Pat and Ruthe moved to an Independent Living apartment at Elm Crest Retirement Community, Harlan. In May, 2022, they moved to an assisted living apartment at Riverside Lodge in Grand Island, NE, to be near their son, Brad, and his wife Dr. Lisa Pattison.He was preceded in death by their son, Tom, who died in 2018.He is survived by his beloved wife, Ruthe; their son, Brad and his wife, Dr. Lisa Pattison of Doniphan, NE, two granddaughters, Megan Pattison of Grand Island; and Dr. Courtney and her husband Johnny Venegas of Omaha, NE; two great-granddaughters, Eden Yovo and Emma Venegas; other relatives and many friends.