Doris Carter Patterson

Doris Carter Patterson of Madison/Eden passed away in the presence of her husband and family on Saturday, April 18th, 2026. Family visitation will be held at Fair Funeral Home from 5:00-7:00 on Tuesday evening, April 21st.. The Funeral Service will be held at Fair funeral home chapel at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22nd. A private internment will take place at the family cemetery later in the day.

Doris was a graduate of Wentworth High School, NC Baptist Hospital Nursing Program and Greensboro College. She had an exemplary career in caregiving as a nurse, nursing instructor, Occupational/Family Nurse Practitioner, and Parish Nurse. Her career took her to Annie Penn Hospital, Burlington Industries, Rockingham Community College, Rockingham County Health Department, Morehead Memorial Hospital (now UNC Rockingham), and First Baptist Church of Eden. As past president of the Occupational Nurses Association of America, she was known for her strong diagnostic skills, especially with the musculoskeletal system. She taught nurse practitioners on this topic nationally before turning to public health nursing.

While her career was important to her and noteworthy, her greatest achievements were with her church and family. While in training for her nursing program she worshipped in the Moravian Church, and was married in the chapel at Baptist Hospital. Upon returning to Rockingham County, she became a longtime member of Dan River Wesleyan Church (formerly Pilgrim Holiness). She held various positions over many years, from youth sponsor to Vacation Bible School director to Sunday School Teacher, teaching her beloved “Friends” Sunday School Class for many years. She was also the resident “bread baker in chief,” and Sunday mornings would find her rolling up to church with freshly baked sourdough bread for parishioners who needed a little extra care that week. Flowers from her garden often filled the vases at church events. She also took great delight in teaching young children to read and would volunteer in elementary classes at Wentworth.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sallie Snyder Carter and Thomas Carter; her brothers, Douglas and Thomas Carter; and her sister, Yvonne Carter Meadors. Along with six remaining siblings, she leaves on this earth her precious husband and most loyal companion of nearly 67 years, John W. Patterson of Madison/Eden, along with three children: Marcella (Robert) Craddock of Madison, Robert (Michelle) Patterson of Reidsville, and Alex (Kathryn) Patterson of Greensboro. She is loved and treasured by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, each precious and unique in their own way, and each of whom held a very real place in her daily prayers. She covered her family with her hand-crafted quilts, her love, and her prayers. Along with these gifts, her family is now covered with precious memories of the life she lived and the love she gave and her eternal hope in Jesus. In Christ, we will meet again.