Janet Louise (Andrews) Patterson, of Altoona, WI passed away on May 10, 2017 after suffering quietly with a rare cholangial carcinoma.   

Born on June 8, 1947, the first of 7 children born to Verna (Sage) and Harold Andrews in Celina, OH, Janet graduated from Celina Senior High School, received a Bachelor of Music – Vocal Performance from the Lamont School of Music of the University of Denver (Colorado), and a Masters of Music – Vocal Performance from the Texas Womans University (Denton, Texas). Between those two degrees, Janet pursued private professional voice studies in New York City with the famed New York City Opera star, Ellen Faull. While in New York City, she worked at the Avco-Embassy films corporate offices and as the Undergraduate Physics departmental secretary for the Columbia University Department of Physics working with five Nobel Prize winners.

On February 19, 1971 she married Donald Patterson in St. Paul's Chapel (Pro Ecclesia Dei) at Columbia University. They had met as undergraduates in Denver and he was her accompanist for life. After leaving New York City, then living in San Angelo, TX for 2 years and Denton, TX for 2 years, she and Don moved to the Eau Claire area where he was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the Department of Music and Theatre Arts and she worked as the Reserve Library Supervisor in McIntyre Library for 32 years.

Janet was an avid reader and writer. She chronicled her life in a multi-volume series of intimate diaries; wrote and had published numerous interesting and witty poems; had several articles on music topics published; contributed over 100 book reviews to various music and library journals; co-authored a chapter in the book, Marketing and Managing Electronic Reserves and co-authored the book: Vincent Persichetti: A Bio-Bibliography.

As a beautiful, dramatic soprano, she performed in many countries and various venues, appearing in concert, opera, and oratorio. Listed in the International Who's Who in Music and the World Who's Who of Women, Janet was a woman of faith, member of the Eau Claire County Federation of Republican Women, the UWEC University Women's Association, and the United Church of God.

Janet is survived by her husband of 46 years, Donald; mother, Verna Andrews of Celina, OH, brother Paul (Sue), Round Lake Beach, IL; brother Wayne (Gail), Chesapeake, VA; brother, Ralph, Chesapeake, VA: sister Doris Wolford (Don), Celina, OH; her aunt Mary Boley, Celina, OH and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents (George and Mabel Sage) and paternal grandparents (Cyrus and Carrie Andrews) her father, her sister Virginia Andrews and her sister Ruth Binz.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 22, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at the Stokes Prock and Mundt Funeral Chapel, 535 S. Hillcrest Parkway, Altoona, Wisconsin 54720 (http://www.stokesprockandmundt.com).

If desired, memorials in honor of Janet L. Patterson may be made to the United Church of God – an International Association, PO Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027.