[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 107 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LATE DR. TIMM C. PATTERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 13, 2000

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the death and 
celebrate the life of my longtime friend, Dr. Timm C. Patterson, who 
passed away on Monday, September 11, 2000. His three children have lost 
a wonderful father, his family has lost a loving soul, the citizens of 
Bay City have lost a committed doctor and dedicated community servant 
and I have lost a good friend.
  A lifelong resident of Bay County, Timm graduated from Bay City 
Central High School in 1967. He continued his education at Delta 
College and Eastern Michigan University. He later earned a doctorate 
with honors from Illinois College of Optometry in 1973. He returned to 
his hometown and practiced medicine for a quarter of a century. Always 
willing to share his vast knowledge and understanding of medicine with 
his colleagues, he penned many articles for publication in optometry 
journals.
  However, he didn't limit his sense of duty to the medical field. His 
community involvement stands as a model to the notion that all of us 
have a responsibility to reach beyond ourselves. A prominent figure in 
local politics, Timm served as a city commissioner and two-term mayor 
of Essexville. The Essexville-Hampton Knights of Columbus, Elks Club, 
Essexville-Hampton Jaycees, Lions Club of Essexville, the Bay Area 
Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Family Y all were graced by his 
leadership and enthusiastic support.
  My friend had a zest for living. He loved sailing, flying airplanes 
and rooting for the maize-and-blue of his beloved University of 
Michigan sports teams. He simultaneously found solace and excitement on 
the Great Lakes, often exhibiting his mastery of navigation as he 
skippered his sailboat on leisurely sojourns and competitive races 
against his fellow sailors. Many times, wind filled his sails in the 
Port Huron to Mackinac Yacht Race. He was a board member of the Saginaw 
Bay Yacht Club and the Saginaw Bay Yacht Racing Association.
  He took to the skies as well, earning a private pilot's license for 
airborne adventures that seemed to heighten his appetite for hands-on 
knowledge.
  My dear friend now soars beyond the clouds, leaving in his wake 
legions of friends and family whose lives he touched with a strong hand 
and tender heart. We will miss him.

                          ____________________