Robert Frederick Patton, I

Mr. Robert F. Patton, I, 81, of Saginaw, Michigan, having been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, February 16, 2024, surrounded by his family and his dogs, Schmuggles and Pluto.

Robert, known to everyone as Bobby, was born May 3, 1942, the third son to Willie and Ethel Patton of Saginaw, Michigan. Bobby graduated from Saginaw High School, Class of 1960, before joining the United States Air Force where he earned several 1st place middleweight boxing trophies. He was employed by Saginaw Steering Gear before leaving Saginaw with a church group called, The Body of Christ. It has been said that he left with Jim Jones. However, allow me to rest your confused minds. Yes, he traveled with a church group; no, it was not Jim Jones. Returning to Saginaw, Bobby held various jobs working for Bell Telephone, being a handyman, shining shoes for Germania Country Club, and lastly, he retired as a Toll Booth Operator at the Dow Event Center at 73 years old.

Bobby grew up in Saginaw on 5th Street. The short version of his testimony was that when he was a child he used to walk past a building that had a glass pane window of Christ. He used to pray to it thinking it would keep him safe. As he grew older, he began to see and know this pane was not the answer. Bobby began to study and know God and Christ, His Son. If you knew Bobby, you knew one thing for sure, he loved God! Bobby always had Bible in hand ready for you concerning the scriptures. I had never seen him cry except to express his love for the Most High. He was always glad to be in the house of the Lord, having one of his best friends, James Snead, as the Pastor of his church home, Greater Love Ministries.

He leaves to cherish his memory two daughters, Sharon R. Patton, Saginaw, and Mini Patton (Josh) of Durand; five sons, Robert F Patton II, Sacramento, California, David Patton (Carla), Gwinnett County, Georgia, Joshua and Alejandra Patton, Phoenix, Arizona, Caleb and Jessica Patton, Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, and Elijah Patton (Kaylee), Saginaw; two brothers, Willie "Sonny" and Rita Patton, and Marvin Patton, Saginaw, Michigan; five nephews and three nieces; fourteen granddaughters; five grandsons; four great-grand sons, and two great-granddaughters; many grand-nieces and grand-nephews; Dawn Farner and family; lifelong friends, David Grey, Edward Sarden and Palis Whitley; former wife, Susan Smith; a host of cousins include the DeGroat, Hall, Ford, White, Stuckey, Brooks, and on and on …. He laughed at the irony of how he had come to full circle and was living the last years of his life under the same roof with his first wife, Kathryn Frazier, and she laughs too. 

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Sr. and Ethel Patton; sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and XO Boose Sr.; brother, Ronald Patton; sister, Arlene Patton; niece, Debbie Boose; daughter, Anisa Taylor-Patton; the love of his life, Tina Wojciechowski; lifelong friends, Kenny Longuemire and Roosevelt Tolbert, Jr.

The family wishes to extend special thanks to Covenant HealthCare (Anthony Myles) and Covenant Visiting Nurses, Pastor and First Lady Charlene Snead and the Greater Love Ministries Church Family; Ivan E. Phillips and the staff at Paradise Funeral Chapel.