L. Brooks Patterson
L. Brooks Patterson | |
---|---|
Oakland County County Executive | |
In office January 1, 1993 – August 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Daniel T. Murphy |
Succeeded by | David Coulter |
Personal details | |
Born | Lewis Brooks Patterson January 4, 1939 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | August 3, 2019 Independence Township, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 80)
Political party | Republican[1] |
Spouse | Kathy (div.)[1] |
Children | four |
Alma mater | University of Detroit (BA), University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (JD) |
Profession | lawyer |
Lewis Brooks Patterson (January 4, 1939 – August 3, 2019) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as County Executive of Oakland County, Michigan in Metro Detroit from 1992 until his death.
Education
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Patterson graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in 1957. He served in the United States Army from 1962 to 1964.[2][1] He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Detroit, and his Juris Doctor in 1967 from its law school.[3] In 2005, he was Alumnus of the Year at his alma mater.[3]
Career
L. Brooks Patterson first made his name when he opposed the busing plan related to Detroit Public Schools up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decided Milliken v. Bradley.[4]
Following 16 years as the Prosecutor of Oakland County, he was elected in 1992 to the office of County Executive.[5] He was re-elected to a sixth term in 2012.[6]
During his years as County Executive, Patterson faced serious health problems, twice undergoing surgery to place stents to control blood flow and, in August 2012, being severely injured as the passenger in a car crash that left him hospitalized for a month and then placed in a medical facility for physical rehabilitation.[5] His driver was paralyzed. While in care in October 2012, Patterson dismissed claims that his injuries left him unfit to serve if reelected.[7] Patterson sometimes used a wheelchair due to the injuries he suffered in the accident. In March 2019 Patterson revealed he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and would not seek re-election the following year.[8]
Personal life
In 2007, Patterson lost his son, Brooks Stuart Patterson, in a snowmobile accident and, later that year, lost his twin brother Stephen Patterson.[5] In 2008, he established the Brooksie Way Half Marathon in memory of his son. The event is sponsored by local businesses and draws participants from the Oakland University campus and area residents.[9][10]
Patterson died on August 3, 2019. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier in the year.[1]
See also
References
- Binelli, Mark. Detroit City is the Place to Be. Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company (New York). First Edition, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8050-9229-5 (hardback version).
Notes
- ^ a b c d "L. Brooks Patterson, longtime Oakland County executive, dies at 80". The Detroit News. August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ Frye, Stephen. "L. Brooks Patterson dead at 80". The Oakland Press. Retrieved Aug 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "UD Mercy School of Law". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ Binelli, p. 114.
- ^ a b c "After crash, 'I love you' easier to say for Oakland County's L. Brooks Patterson". Detroit Free Press. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ Ramirez, Charles E. (October 2, 2012). "Tests show Patterson, driver had no alcohol, drugs in system before crash, attorney says". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 3, 2012.[dead link]
- ^ "Oakland Dems question L. Brooks Patterson's ability to serve after crash". Detroit Free Press. October 2, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has pancreatic cancer". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ Sokol, Stephanie (October 2, 2012). "Brooksie Way returns to Rochester Hills". The Oakland Post. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson: I'll be back in a couple of weeks". Detroit Free Press. September 29, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
External links
- 1939 births
- 2019 deaths
- People from Loogootee, Indiana
- Military personnel from Michigan
- 20th-century American politicians
- 21st-century American politicians
- County executives in Michigan
- Deaths from cancer in Michigan
- Deaths from pancreatic cancer
- Michigan lawyers
- Michigan Republicans
- People from Detroit
- University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy alumni
- University of Detroit Mercy alumni
- American prosecutors
- 20th-century American lawyers