John Glynn Patrick

John Glynn Patrick, born November 23, 1934 in Many, Louisiana, joined his heavenly Father on June 15, 2017, after living a full, beautiful, and active life, mostly in East Mountain, Longview, Garland, and Gladewater, Texas. He was an extraordinary and gifted man who accomplished many noteworthy things in his life. The last of four brothers, he was preceded in death by his parents, John Douglas Patrick and Leona Mae Mauldin Patrick Collier, his brothers, Bobby, Bennie, and Robert Patrick, and his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Amon and Nell Anderson. On January 1, 1953, John married his faithful companion and love of his life, Bonita Faye Anderson Patrick.

Service will be held at First Baptist Church of Gladewater, at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 19 2017. The family will receive visitors at Croley Funeral Home in Gladewater from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 P.M. Sunday, June 18 2017.

At a certain point in his life, John embraced “The Serenity Prayer” as his life’s motto: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen”, a prayer that he would encourage all as a way to live life.

John’s treasure and his joy was in his family, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, his beautiful and devoted wife of 64 years, Bonita; his church and his friends. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, traveling, shooting, sports, drawing, building, creating, gardening, machinery, and reading. His pets were important to him and, after years of much loved hunting and companion dogs, his last was Callie, the cat. Mostly, John enjoyed being surrounded by his family. His favorite activity was having them join him and Bonita for holidays, family birthdays, and Sunday lunch and togetherness at his beloved home on Lake Gladewater.

John, a deacon at First Baptist Church of Gladewater, a former president of the Gladewater Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the Army Reserves, and generous philanthropist, lived a life of service to his church and community. One of his most cherished accomplishments was overseeing the renovation of First Baptist Church as chairman of the building committee. He also lived a life of love and service to his family, from coaching his daughters’ softball teams to building a baseball field for his grandson’s team to practice, sharing his passion for fishing, hunting, shooting, and camping with his children and grandchildren, and sharing his love, wisdom, and support unconditionally.

Working in the tool and die industry since he was a teenager, John’s hard work, skills, and leadership abilities led him to acquire and build his own company, Texas Die Casting, in Gladewater in 1984, until he retired and sold the company in 2007.

John was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by those who survive him, his wife, Bonita, his daughters, Tammy Patrick of Garland, TX, Penny Gunn of White Oak, TX, Alisa Bird of Dallas, TX, and daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and John Oxton of Longview TX, his grandchildren, Sarah Oxton Casimiro and husband, Saul Casimiro, Austin Lynch, Tyler Oxton, Natalie Bird, Amanda Gunn, Elizabeth Bird, and his great grandchildren, Anabelle, Victoria, and Elijah Casimiro, and their little sister that is on the way. He is also survived by sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Barbara and Don Stubblefield, sisters-in-law, Hughleen Patrick, Shirley Patrick, and Ann Patrick, many nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family wishes to express a heartfelt thank you to the caregivers of Elite Home Health and Compass Hospice who made it possible for our husband, father, and grandfather to live his last days at home with his family and the lake view he loved so much.