Kenneth A. "Ken" Patterson

On October 31, 2022, the Patterson family lost their rock. A true American hero, Kenneth “Ken” Patterson passed away in the early afternoon of Halloween at the age of 53. Ken was the baby of his family, born in Hammond, Indiana on November 25, 1968, to Kathleen and Ronald Patterson. His father was preceded by four months in his death, leaving him as the primary provider and protector for the Patterson clan. He was also preceded in death by his infant son Nicholas Ronald.

Ken is survived by his devoted wife of 21 years, Cathy Patterson, his daughter Haley, his son Luke, his mother Kathy Patterson, his sister Diane (Patterson) Vitolka, her husband Jim, and their children Tyler, Lauren, and Stacy. It’s only right to also mention the countless people whose lives he touched throughout his years of leadership and devout mentorship, as they were also family to him.

To say that Ken was larger than life was an understatement. He enlisted right out of high school, and later on, upon graduating from Western Illinois University, he was commissioned as an officer in the Signal Corps of the US Army. He proudly earned his parachutist wings and served in Germany supporting an elite reconnaissance unit. Following his successful tour in the European Theater, Ken was selected to take command of an Airborne Signal Company skilled in Information Operations which was one of his proudest military accomplishments. Ken then moved on to various staff positions where he was able to influence multiple signal corps leaders and ensure the safety of our nation. From there Ken served as a key leader in Hawaii and Fort Hood where he served multiple combat tours earning two Bronze Star medals. Ken’s final tour with the US Army led him to take command of the Rutgers Army ROTC Battalion in New Brunswick, NJ. This assignment allowed him to influence hundreds of Army leaders and indirectly impact thousands of Soldiers across the force. He undertook his time as Knight 6 as the most defining assignment of his career. After 25 years, his time with the army had served everyone around him. Thus, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel to start just another successful chapter in his crazy life.

Upon retirement from the Army, Ken and his family relocated to Hartland, Wisconsin. Ken found a new passion for helping patients across the globe working in the medical device supply management field. Initially, Ken worked for General Electric Healthcare as a Global Sourcing Manager, but was quickly recognized for his talents and was promoted to Executive Director. Throughout his tenure at GE, Ken earned multiple awards and titles for his leadership, performance, and mentorship. Ken then moved on to establish the Medtronic Diabetes Sourcing Team. Ken decided it was time to make a serious change in the supply management arena and created his own company, True North Advantage which enabled multiple startup companies to grow their sourcing functions while enabling tens of millions of growth for more seasoned companies.

Ken Patterson you were so many things to so many people. A doting husband, a loving father, a wonderful son, a loyal soldier, an attentive mentor, a compassionate leader, the list goes on. Your legacy will continue, and you will live on through those who will remember you fondly and carry on your teachings and leadership, your kindness and wisdom, your intelligence and humor.

Godspeed.

A Funeral Service for Ken will be held Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 4:00PM at Oakwood Church, 3041 Oakwood Rd., Hartland, WI 53029. Family and Friends are invited for a visitation at the church from 2:00PM until the time of Service. Full Military Honors will follow the Service.

The funeral service will be live streamed and can be viewed using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlTMY_F_jjI