Dr. Marcus Patton Iii, Phd

A Memorial Gathering for Dr. Marcus Smith Patton, III PhD, 77, of Lawrence, KS, will be from 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, October 12, 2012 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence, KS.  Private inurnment will be at a later date.  He died on October 1, 2012 at his home in rural Lawrence.

He was born on June 3, 1935 in Seattle, Washington, the son of Marcus Smith Patton, Jr. and Pauline Tomes.

He was a US Army Korean War veteran.

Marcus had doctorates from the University of Kansas in Education and Philosophy.

He had a great passion for horses and owned a stable (Coal Creek Farm) for many years in Lawrence.  In 1996, he was a World Cutting Horse Champion.  He won many other awards for his horsemanship.

Marcus was the former head of Operation Research Corporation, which he worked in training US Army Special Forces. He also taught at KU and Baldwin City High School.

He was employed for many years as a military consultant and worked on contracts for the federal government.  In his later years, he worked for the University of Kansas Athletic Department in academic support.  In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, he owned the Purple Pig Bar in downtown Lawrence.

He was married to Sandra “Sandi” Stapp in 1979 in Kansas City, Kansas. She survives  of the home.

Other survivors include two sons, Marcus Smith Patton IV, of Raleigh, NC, Fredrick J. Patton, of Kuna , Idaho, and four grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials in his name to the University of Kansas Athletic Department for Academic Support and may be sent in care of the mortuary.