Caption:Dick Patterson (left) with Johnny King-Marino. The two served together on the Bucks 5K Series, which hosts races throughout Bucks County.
Credits:Kris Boger
DOYLESTOWN, PA—Dick Patterson will leave behind a long legacy of volunteer work serving Doylestown, but he may be best remembered for his work with the Bucks 5K Series, a group that hosts races throughout Bucks County.
Patterson, who died peacefully on March 24, served as the director of the race series for 20-plus years, putting him in touch with countless runners from the region and beyond. As an avid runner and advocate of both mental and physical health, Patterson embraced the community around him.
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“You'd be hard-pressed to find runners who hadn't crossed paths with Dick during his 20-plus years of directing the series,” said Kris Boger, who has served as director of the Doylestown 5K, one of the races in the series, for 12 years.
“Dick is the reason I got involved in the series and in running,” Boger said. “While he may have started as a mentor, I feel extraordinarily privileged to say he was my friend too.”
The 5K series was just one area where Patterson showed his love of the Doylestown community. Patterson also was an advocate for the local bike and hike trail system, served on Doylestown Borough’s Revitalization Board, was president of the board of the County Theater, and served as a trustee for the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties.
But for many, Patterson will be remembered for his efforts in helping the Bucks 5K Series flourish. Patterson helped the event become more than just a series of races, turning it instead into a celebration of fitness, camaraderie and mutual support.
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Under his leadership, the series would grow to attract riders from around the country and beyond.
As Patterson’s obituary notes, “As a fixture in the local Doylestown running scene, Dick became a beacon of encouragement and support for runners of all ages and abilities.” (The obituary is on the Reed & Steinbach Funeral Home website.)
Born in 1937 in Hanover, Pa., G. Richard Patterson graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in engineering physics. He went on to become the vice president of aerospace products for a company in Sellersville, Ametek, that made parts for commercial airliners, helicopters and business jets.
Patterson moved to Doylestown with his wife Edythe Wheeler Patterson in 1966. The two lived in town for more than 57 years.
The Bucks 5K Series will honor Patterson throughout the coming race season. The series had previously announced that the overall winner award would be renamed the Dick Patterson Series Champion Awards. That award is given following the Break-Fast 5K & 10K at the end of the race season.
Patterson is survived by his wife, Edythe, his children, Brad Patterson (Janet Patterson), Glynnis Patterson (Rip Harris), and Brian Patterson (Jim Lamprakos), and his grandchildren, Declan Patterson and Ada Patterson, and Rhys Harris and Finnegan Harris.
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