Oakland County Exec L Brooks Patterson remembered as fighter at viewing

WATERFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - L. Brooks Patterson died Saturday at 80 years old leaving behind quite the legacy.

At his public viewing Tuesday Oakland County employees wanted to share stories of him as a person and what many talked about, was that he was a fighter up to the very end.

"It's his fight, how are you going to tell Brooks Patterson not to fight," said Dr. Dayne Rogers, his son.

And he fought. Oakland County's longest serving executive worked through the chemo, through the cancer and pretty much worked up until the last two weeks of his life.
 
But Oakland County was his life. 

"He fought and he wanted to live, and he wanted to finish his term that's all he wanted," said Mary Margaret Patterson Warner his daughter.

And many county employees visited the L. Brooks Patterson executive office building to pay their last respects. 

"I got to fight for my 5,500 county employees," said Rogers. "He had the weight on his shoulders you guys don't realize. He's still county executive and wanted to pull through this for them."

And many of Oakland County's leaders stood by and greeted those, sharing stories and reminiscing as they viewed vintage pictures --and some funny ones as well.  

FOX 2: "Did you ever say 'Oh dad why did you say this?'"
 
"Oh yeah. I'd have my patients tell me do you know what your dad said and I would say what did he say?" said Rogers. "He's an old English teacher and lawyer, so he also chose his words carefully."

There will be another public viewing next Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodside Bible Church in Troy-- and then the funeral will take place at 1:30 next Thursday at Woodside Bible Church.  

"He would have had a really nice retirement party so this is our way of sending him off what he loves most Oakland County," said Warner. "He deserved it all."

Warner added although he had four children, his fifth was really Oakland County.