World War II veteran a quiet presence
Over the years, Alberta Stockard developed a closeness with her uncle, Laverne Patton. The bond only tightened after he moved in with her a few years ago.
Patton, of Butler, died Monday, Jan. 8, at Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at the age of 101. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served during World War II as a gunner — although he didn’t speak about that part of his life much, according to Stockard.
Stockard, of Butler Township, said her “Uncle Guy” kept to himself, but was still a loving person in her life. He was never married and never had children of his own, she said, but he frequently visited members of his extended family.
“I loved him dearly,” Stockard said Friday, Jan. 26. “He was loved by all his nieces and nephews.”
Patton was enlisted in the Navy from 1942 to 1952. He received an honorable discharge as an Aviation Electronicsman First Class in December 1948. Stockard said Patton later volunteered for VA Butler Healthcare, but he was ineligible for residency at the facility.
Patton did nearly 4,500 hours of volunteer work over eight years with VA Butler Healthcare over the years, and received aid from the department for his hearing, which Stockard said was damaged by his work in the Navy. His volunteer work earned Patton a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs, with Stockard saying he might have the highest number of volunteer hours in Butler.
Stockard said her uncle was well-known in the veteran community of Butler, and would get many “hellos” when entering the VA.
“When I took him to the VA for help, every time you walked through the door they would say, 'Hi Laverne, how are you doing,’” Stockard said.
Stockard said even after her uncle got older, it didn’t stop him from taking his electronic wheelchair to the homes of his friends and family. She said he would make visits to other people’s homes until he was no longer able to.
“He got himself a wheelchair and he would take himself down Cunningham Street,” Stockard said. “If he wanted to visit with someone, he would just go visit them.”
