Kennon Blair (Henderson)Patton, 94, went to be with the Lord November 14, 2012 at Heritage Hills Nursing Home. She was the widow of Edwin Douglas Patton of Greenville SC.
She had lived in Lincoln for the past 10 years and had previously lived in Greenville SC for 62. Born in Carrollton GA, she was the daughter of the late Charles Kennon and Eleanor “Nell” (Mandeville) Henderson also of Carrollton and the Granddaughter of the late Leroy Clifton and Caroline “Carrie” Louise (Richardson) Mandeville, Sr.
After graduating from high school at 15, Kennon traveled out West with 3 friends, thus beginning a life-time love for adventure. She was a 1938 graduate of UGA, Athens, with a degree in Journalism. Upon graduation, she traveled to Europe. She was employed as secretary to President I. S. Ingram of West Georgia College (now branch of UGA), taught PE and swimming and founded the school newspaper still in existence. While at West GA, she received a Rosenwald Fellowship to Ohio State University. Returning to Carrollton, Kennon served as a Lt. in the WAVES (Navy) during WWII in communications; stationed in Charleston SC and Pearl Harbor – after Pearl Harbor. When the war ended, she joined the advertizing staff at Davidsons in Atlanta. In 1946 after marriage, Kennon and her husband, Doug, co-owned and operated Patton Farm – Poultry, Greenville SC for 10 years. Kennon was a real estate broker and co-owned and operated Patton Company Realtors, Mauldin SC from 1972-1982. An active member of the Presbyterian Church in America, she and her late husband were missionaries to Japan with PCA's Mission to the World 1990-91. Kennon traveled to all 7 continents – Antarctica was her last trip in 1998, age 80, with her college roommate. She moved to RI in 2002 to live with her daughter. She was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Providence.
She was predeceased by her brother, Clifton Mandeville Henderson.She is survived by her 3 daughters, Blair P Greene and husband, Thomas B Greene of Lincoln RI; Jean P Preston and husband, Donald Kriss Preston of Huntsville AL; Susan P Hamersky and husband, Kaarel B Hamersky of Woodland Hills CA; 10 grandchildren: Juliette Patton Chan, Doug Greene, Adrienne Greene, Katy Preston McCann, Janice Preston Rush, David Preston, Tyler Preston, Stephanie Hamersky; Matthew Hamersky , Daniel Hamersky; 4 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 2pm in Trinity Presbyterian Church. A memorial service will be held at a time to be announced in Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina.
In Lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 72 Clifford St, Providence RI 02903.