The many friends of Dr. Damon Patterson are invited to make a call of convenience from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today (2/18) at Mynatt Funeral Home in Halls, 4131 E. Emory Road. Then the family will receive friends at Clear Springs Baptist Church, Harbison’s Crossroads, from 4-7 p.m. with a funeral service at 7. The service will be streamed live on the church’s Facebook page.
Dr. Patterson died February 15, 2022, at age 93.
He received his doctor of divinity degree from LMU in 1967. In 1960, he was called as pastor of Corryton Baptist Church where he served for 23 years. In 1982, he became pastor of Monroe Baptist Church in Michigan until he retired in 2001. He was not retired for long. Upon his return to Knoxville, Dr. Patterson became the associate pastor of Clear Springs Baptist Church, where he remained a faithful member.
According to his obituary, Pastor Damon shared God’s Word in more than 120 churches, in over 275 revivals, in 11 states and four countries. His full obituary may be read here, but I must mention two of his kin who are friends. His son, Dr. Fred Patterson, lives in Halls. He retired as supervisor of art for Knox County Schools. Fred and Irene Patterson gave us their son, also named Damon, who left a lasting impression on those he encountered while in Halls High School.
Young Damon worked birthday parties for other kids as a magician, well before he was old enough to drive a car. He was a fantastic artist who left sketches of the Halls schools that were reproduced and sold as a fundraiser. And when asked what he planned for a career, young Damon said he would be either a magician or a physician.
We looked him up. Damon E. Patterson M.D. is a neurology specialist in Lafayette, Louisiana. The third Dr. Patterson completed a residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham after graduating from the University of Tennessee medical school in Memphis in 2003.
He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He specializes in neurology, vascular neurology and neuro-interventional surgery, including treatment for chronic spine pain, strokes, brain aneurysms and other neurologic conditions. His biography did not mention magic.