Katherine (Pat) Patterson Krikorian Oct. 25, 1921–Feb. 10, 2013Katherine (Pat) Patterson Krikorian departed this earthly realm on Sunday Feb. 10, 2013 in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Born in Oxford, Miss., Oct. 25, 1921, Pat came to “The Hill” at the tender age of 22 as one of the first 200 military personnel assigned to the Manhattan project.
She met her husband, Krik in 1946 and they were married in Los Alamos in March, 1948. Before and after the war she was a civil servant with the Federal Government working for the Departments of Agriculture and State.
Pat saw Los Alamos through the inception of the Atomic Energy Commission as it evolved into the Energy Research and Development Agency.
After 37 years of government service, she retired and traveled the world visiting six continents. Pat was a woman of strong faith and worked in many volunteer positions at the United Church of Los Alamos.
She believed that Los Alamos was a magical place where scientific mysteries were unraveled and international friendships made that went beyond governments.
Pat was preceded in death by her parents; Ike and Icy Patterson, brothers; Jack Patterson, Paul E. Patterson, James Patterson and sister; Virginia Sweeney. She is survived by her husband, Krik; daughter Debra and husband David Porter of Glenwood, New Mexico; sister Mary Childers of Ashland, MS; David’s two daughters; Robin and husband Carlos Porter-Alvarez of Miami, Fla; Christina and husband Michael Gibson and their son Michael Joseph Lee Gibson of Magnolia, Texas; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.
Interment services will be at the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 12:45 p.m., Feb. 15 with a memorial service at the United Church of Los Alamos at 11 a.m, March 9.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee, PO Box 220, Los Alamos, NM 87544 or the United Church Memorial Fund C/O The United Church of Los Alamos, 2525 Canyon Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544
