Rita Marie Patton

Rita Marie Patton, 87, passed away at the end of a well-led life on April 23, 2020. Rita is remembered by her daughter Glenda Bredeson and her husband Theron, and her son Stephen Patton. She is also survived by her grandchildren Theresa Butler; Jennifer Morris-Hayes and her husband Marshall; Jamie Lick and her husband Correy; Jim Bredeson and Nick Alder; and Lorie Palmer and her husband Scott. Her legacy continues through the lives of her great grandchildren Meghan, Shelby, Eleanor, Sophie and Levi. She is also survived by her sister Virginia Burnett. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim; her parents Arthur and Sophia Herzberg; her sister Betty Barton, and her daughters Shirley Hanson and Paula Patton. Born August 23, 1932 in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. Rita was always a farm girl at heart. But in 1950, she and her husband Jim moved to the city lights of Denver with all they possessed and their first daughter Glenda in tow. Rita’s career as a mother was complemented by various professional endeavors. Her early working life included stints as a soda jerk, telephone operator, shop girl. Much of the time she was both father and mother, as Jim’s career as a long-haul truck driver kept him away much of the time. She managed it all successfully and their love remained strong. She became a driver herself, driving busses for Jefferson County Schools. She was an avid seamstress, crafting many of the four children’s clothes from halloween costumes to uniform’s for her daughter Shirley’s entire junior high cheerleading squad—gored skirts and all. She was always there for her children and she wore lipstick through it all. In September 1974, Rita and Jim celebrated their 25th anniversary in Ontario, Oregon, where they were then living, enjoying a simple life on the land with animals and gardens–the kind of life they had always dreamed of. She spoke fondly of a climbing pig, two baby goats, and their St. Bernard, Jeremiah. But the adventure was short-lived. When Jim was diagnosed with bone cancer, they returned to Arvada. Rita became his nurse and devoted caretaker–even going to great lengths to obtain experimental cancer drugs. After Jim’s death in 1976, Rita returned to work as a bus driver for Jefferson County Public Schools. The students she drove loved her; she could take their pranks. And she loved the students too, because she had some pranks of her own. She was soon transitioned to bus dispatcher, before being promoted to Operations Manager of the School Grounds Department. Rita retired in 1996, after winning $112,995.24 on a lucky slot machine pull in Blackhawk with her daughter Shirley. The gambling hobby that began many years before with her sister Betty and church bingo fundraisers, had paid off. The gigantic presentational check hung on her wall for the rest of her life. But even in retirement, Rita continued to keep busy. She worked selling tickets at Jefferson County School stadiums. “Being around kids,” she said “kept her young.” To numerous young people over the years she always had a listening ear, and shoulder to cry on. Rita was a kind woman. As devoted a grandmother as a mother, Rita was an assistant coach to her daughter Paula for several seasons of youth softball. The Arvada Jazz girls softball team was a melody of very talented young ladies, including her granddaughter Lorie. Concerned that her devotion to the Church would not be met on Sundays, in her favorite pew in the back, her priest at Shrine of St. Anne’s Parish assured her that “God likes Softball too” and then gave her a wink. Rita’s hands were always busy with crochet. While she crocheted, she watched Denver sports–Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanche–whomever. She volunteered for Warm Hearts, Warm Babies with her daughter Glenda. She made hundreds of colorful afghans. All of her children and grandchildren have one, if not more, as do a myriad of family and friends. But if you met Rita even once and you “treated her well,” you were gifted one of her hand-crocheted dish towels. How many hundreds of these there must be in this world? It should be said that Rita was a spirited, stubborn woman. Her mind changed with the times. Her kindness is eternal. Rita’s son, Steve, was a devoted caregiver the last years of her life—along with Glenda, Theron and her granddaughter Jamie. A funeral service will be announced in the coming months.