Patricia Valentine Worked at the Saline Ford Plant for More Than 30 Years

Patricia Anne Valentine succumbed to Lewy Body Dementia and cancer on November 29, 2020 peacefully at home at the age of 74.

Patti was born in Florence, AL to Elbert and Margie (Marlin) Patterson. Following her dad’s service in the Navy during WW2, the family relocated to Michigan. When Patti was 13, her mother was diagnosed with ALS and Patti was left to raise her younger siblings; two brothers, Michael and Ronald and sister, Sheila. Patti cared for her mom for the better part of the next 51 years. The day after she graduated from Wayne Memorial High in 1964, she started work at Michigan National Bank. She held various jobs, until being hired into the Ford Saline Plant in July, 1971 as a Steno/Sec. Patti spent the next thirty-plus years at Ford, eventually retiring as a Maintenance Supervisor/Construction Buyer. During this time, she also managed to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University.

In 1981, She married Jack Valentine and became the stepmother to Jack’s two sons from a previous marriage, Michael Valentine and Patrick Valentine. They came to consider her as a second mother and she referred to herself as “Mom Too”.

Patti’s interests were wide and many; she loved cooking, painting (oils, watercolors acrylics), travelling (especially England), friends and family, hosting get-togethers, planning classic car tours, visiting art museums, music, collecting cookbooks, exercising, walking and being a vegan and a grandmother.

She is survived by her sister, Sheila (Patterson) Stotz, brother, Ronald Patterson, nephews, Joshua Stotz, Matthew and Noah Patterson and nieces, Jillian Faughn and Jenny Patterson, stepsons Michael and Patrick, grandsons, Griffin and Simon Valentine, granddaughters, Heather Valentine and Alexandra Baldwin.

Patti was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Michael, nephew, Nicholas Patterson, and grandson, Gabriel Valentine.

The family is grateful for the loving advice and assistance we received from Arbor Hospice.

Due to the current pandemic, no public memorial will be held. Patti’s cremains will be interred at Greenview Memorial Cemetery, Florence, AL.

If you would care to make a donation in her name, Patti’s favorite charities were EB Research Partnership and the American Cancer Society. To leave a memory you have of Patti or to sign her guestbook, please visit www.rbfhsaline.com.

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