Shelia Denise (Green) Patterson

 Shelia Denise Green Patterson was born August 19, 1956, to Gail Marie Strickland Cochran and Oscar David Waller. She is their only child. 

Her maternal grandmother, Naomi Callen Strickland Green and her step-grandfather John Thomas Green helped in her upbringing. 

Her formal education was from the Etowah County School System, and she graduated from Emma Samsom High School in 1974. That same year on the 26th of August, a week after her 18th birthday, Shelia left Gadsden for Homestead Air Force Base in Florida to marry Andre Patterson and travel the world with him and become the quintessential military spouse. 

As a military spouse Shelia has endured countless overseas tours all while rearing an ever demanding and growing family of children who would follow in their father's footsteps. After countless cross country road trips originating from the sweltering Deep South to the arid Desert Southwest that is home to the eldest children Heidi La-Rae and Andre II, to the cold Upper Mid-Atlantic Region where the youngest Antonio Chevez was born and making trips on a moment's notice due to Andre's call to service, Shelia became adept at networking and social preparedness in traveling. 

Shelia's presence was left at each Air Force Base through her prowess for hosting the best holiday parties, passion for books, and her deep love of music. Upon Andre's retirement in 1993, they decided to sell the Desert Southwestern home in Las Vegas, Nevada to come back to Gadsden, Alabama in the Deep Southeast to help take care of his and her grandparents.

In July of 2019, Shelia got the news that no lady wants to hear - breast cancer. Then it became devastating: the most aggressive breast cancer: triple negative breast cancer. She faced it bravely. 

God called her home on August 6, 2023. 

She was preceded in death by her mother, Gail Marie Strickland Cochran; her father, Oscar David Waller; and sister Nettie Jewell Strickland Waller Miller.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved husband of 49 years, Andre Patterson, SR; their children, Heidi La-Rae Patterson Duncan, Cottondale, AL; Andre 'JR' Patterson II, Glencoe, AL; and Antonio 'Tony' Chevez Patterson, Gadsden, AL;  grandchildren, SaMaria Dix-Patterson, Trinity Dix-Patterson, Andre Patterson III, Diego Patterson, Dorian Patterson, DaiJohn Pitts, all of Gadsden, AL; Mikalya Richey, Zakiya Richey, both of Guntersville, AL; Jamari Patterson, and Karlito Patterson all of Gadsden, AL; her sister-in-law, Valerie Russell and her family all of Gadsden; her uncles, Douglas Horton, JR., Aurthur Horton and their respective families from Chicago, IL; aunts, Linda Williams, Charlotte Hughley, Constance Billingsley, and their respective families all of Gadsden, AL; special childhood friends, Phyllis Ellis-Byers and Delores Wood both of Gadsden, AL; close special friends, Juan (Pola) Hoskins, Evelena Reese, Norman Adams, Joey (Jill) Tillman of Las Vegas, NV; Lee (Arlet) Roper of Montgomery, AL; Namon (Debbie) Martin, Gadsden, AL.

In lieu of flowers and sundries, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, St. James Catholic School, or to the charity of your choice.   

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