Thomas “Tom” Patton
May 26, 1956 — June 6, 2023

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Tom Patton was beloved by his family and his many, many friends. Kind and generous to a fault!

Tom was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who asked.

He and his wife Amy settled in Lucerne after his parents, Barbara and Jay Patton, built a vacation cottage on the lake which eventually became their year-round home.

Tom attended high school in San Jose, California, and lived at various times in both Northern and Southern California.

Once settled in Lake County, Tom immediately became a dedicated community volunteer. For over 40 years he donated his time to many different agencies, including the American Red Cross/Lake County Chapter, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Despite having very poor vision for most of his life (eventually turning to blindness in later years) due to a lifelong battle with glaucoma, he was always extremely good with his hands and could fix nearly anything he set his talents to. He especially loved cars and many times brought old cars back to life with his mechanical aptitude.

Tom and Amy were long-time ham operators. Tom loved to get on the radio and talk for hours to people he would find who had interesting backgrounds. His pleasant manner and infectious laugh made him a favorite companion for ham operators worldwide. Tom built his own ham radio station set-ups.

Tom was a dedicated family man who not only loved his immediate family, but always kept in contact with his extended family including his two sisters, many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Tom had an incredible long-term memory. He was the family historian and could remember many obscure details about people and events which others had long since forgotten. The standard line at his sister Becky’s house was, “…I don’t remember, let’s call Tommy.”

It’s sometimes hard to find the words to convey the passing of a loved one. But in this case, it’s easy. The world is a little sadder and heaven a little happier now that Tom has made the journey.

He is sorely missed.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 30, at Cal Fire’s Kelsey Cobb Fire Station, 8948 Highway 175, Kelseyville.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.