Lisa Jane Patterson

Paraphrasing one of the great philosophers of our age, Mike Tyson... “when we die there will be two dates above our name and all our friends will read’m, but the true story lies within the little dash between’m.” Lisa was a remarkable person on many levels. A state champion Equestrian in her teenage years, a Homecoming Queen in college, she taught Abstract Mathematics while in graduate school at OSU, and upon receiving her Masters was recruited by the venerable Bell Labs in New Jersey until AT&T stole her away and made her a Systems Manager.  She traveled much of the world with that job. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1989, Lisa moved to Red River in ‘92’ and married long time resident Rick Fowler at their house on Heartbreak Trail ,Christmas Eve 1994. She worked for awhile at Centinel Bank and was instrumental in procuring an award of recognition for them in 1997. Eventually her MS advanced from relapsing / remitting to the secondary progressive stage and  along with exhibiting signs of dementia, she slowly retreated from the world and was cared for at home until being placed in the Taos Living Center in 2011. In her mind, she was there to help the other residents. She felt a true purpose, as well as finding a new family who loved and cared for her for the last 10 years of her life. Lisa was raised along with her sister Laurie in Oklahoma City by their adoptive parents John and Mary Patterson. She is preceded in death by her parents and survived by her husband Rick Fowler, stepson Zachary Raines, sister Laurie Barton, niece Emily Barton, uncle Tommy Patterson, aunt Marty Anderson, and numerous cousins.  A celebration of her life will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any animal support foundation in her name.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com