LEWISTON – Neil F. Patterson, 71, of Montello Street, Lewiston, died in his sleep at home after a long battle with heart disease.

He was born in Brookline, Mass., Aug. 10, 1933, the son of Harold A. and Dorothy Reny Patterson. He was raised and schooled in Westbrook. He graduated from Westbrook High School in 1952, and the University of Maine at Orono in 1956.

He served in the third armored division in Germany during the Korean conflict from 1956 to 1958. As a reservist later, he was called into active duty in October of 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On Nov. 22, 1958, he married Irene Aube. He worked as an internal auditor for the United States Treasury Department from 1960 to 1962. For Moore Business Forms of Toronto, Canada, he worked as a plant controller in various manufacturing plants from 1963 to 1969; L & A Tire Company as a Controller from 1970 to 1979; and Bachmann Industries Inc. as a vice president of finance from 1980 until his retirement in 1995.

Neil was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Lewiston, a councilman for the church’s Royal Ranger program, and founder of the Golden Seniors group.

He was instrumental in the founding of the Good Shepard Food Bank and the naming of the Spirit of Fire Ministries. He redesigned and recovered all records for the Veterans Cemetery in Augusta that had been destroyed by fire at the State House.

He enjoyed family camping, reading, stamp collecting, family and Bible genealogies, and American history.

Survivors include his wife of Lewiston; two daughters, Marie Terese Johnston and her husband Mark P. of Waterville, and Marie Sandra Vigen and her husband William H. of Oak Hill, Va.; a son, Mark A. and his wife Elizabeth A. of New Gloucester; four grandchildren, Isaiah Carl Nelson, Sara Terese Vigen, Karen Marie Patterson and Kaitlyn Faith Patterson.