January 10, 2023 - Gregory Douds Patterson, 71, of Charleston, WV, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family, on January 2, 2023, after a long journey with dementia. Greg was a true gentleman and was highly respected by all that knew him. With a strong background in coal, Greg dedicated his own professional life to providing greater safety and increased productivity in the coal mining industry.

Greg is survived by his wife of 41 years, Corleen Barker; their four children: Emily of Charleston, WV,  Abigail of Charleston, SC (husband James, son Forrest, step-daughter Stormy), Adam of Irwin, PA (wife Erin, daughter Rosalie, son Maxwell), and Will of Charleston, WV; his five siblings, Patricia Conboy, Mary Lou Hollman (husband Thomas), Judith Beswick, Joan Rittenberger (husband George), and Edwin (wife Susan), and many nieces and nephews who will always remember the generosity of their Uncle Greg.

Greg Patterson

Greg was preceded in death by his parents, Alexander “Bunt” and Helen (née Douds) Patterson, and brothers-in-law Gerard “Jerry” Conboy and Charles “Chuck” Beswick.

Born on October 11, 1951, to a family deeply rooted in the coal mining industry and of Scottish descent, Greg grew up in Yatesboro, PA.  He was the first son born to parents of four daughters, and their close-knit community welcomed him with eager and open arms. Greg was active in sports and the outdoors as a child and graduated as the salutatorian of Shannock Valley High School in 1967.

He attended Penn State, completing a B.S. in Mining Engineering (1974) and gaining extensive experience as an underground laborer through their co-op program. Greg moved to the Kanawha Valley in 1974 to work for BethEnergy Mines Corporation, a subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel, at their Boone County perations. There, he rose through the ranks at the #131 & #132 mines, eventually assuming the roles of General Mine Foreman and Superintendent.

In 1986, he joined J.V. Services, an underground coal company headquartered in Danville, WV. While with J.V. Services, he earned his MBA from the University of Charleston (1987) before assuming the role of Vice President in 1989. During his time with the company, he oversaw their operations in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and was promoted to President & General Manager in 2004.

In 2013, Greg began working for NORWEST where he had the opportunity to travel to India on a mine consulting venture. Throughout Greg’s career, he was involved with the management of 47 different underground coal mines. Greg was the 7th generation of Pattersons to work in coal, and he was forever proud to see his son, Adam, join the industry. His commitment to the industry was evident in his membership in the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute (former President), the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute (former Vice President), Careers in Coal, and the Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. Greg’s storied career was capped with his election to the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Hall of Fame in 2012.

Greg was an avid reader, outdoorsman, and golfer, a lover of music and college football (Go Nittany Lions), and an all-around great guy to know. He was never afraid to lend a hand or solve a problem, even if it meant driving from Charleston to Morgantown and back in the same day. He made himself at home in the kitchen just long enough to prepare delicious meals for his family and friends but never quite long enough to clean them up.

Whether brave or a little crazy, he enjoyed many weekends alone with his kids in Tucker County, fishing and exploring. He loved to attend their games and concerts and continued his interest and support of their pursuits even after they left the house. Greg grew up fishing with his family in the Cook’s Run area of Pennsylvania’s Sproul and continued to travel there as an adult each spring for trout season, first with his nephews, then his sons, and on solo trips as well. Many will remember Greg for his calm and quiet demeanor, but he was an active member of Cosmo’s speaker’s club at Edgewood Country Club, and never shied away from presenting an award, introducing a speaker, or giving a toast. He will be remembered for his hearty laugh, his dry wit, and his statistically impossible hole-in-one shot on Edgewood’s number 3 in August of 2006.

Greg’s family is eternally grateful for his kind, loving, patient caregivers at Angel’s Touch in St. Albans, WV, and to Hubbard Hospice House for providing care and support at the end of his life. We will honor Greg’s death and celebrate his life with services at Kanawha United Presbyterian Church at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2023, Rev. Patterson Lyles officiating. The family will receive visitors one hour prior.

In lieu of flowers, you may honor Greg’s legacy with memorial donations to The Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Scholarship Fund, ? The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, P.O. Box 3041, Charleston, WV 25331; WV Public Broadcasting wvpublic.org; The Indiana County PA Parks & Trails, ? The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, 216 Franklin Street, Suite 400, Johnstown, PA 15901, or Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, 1009 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301.

Condolences may be sent and shared with the family at www.barlowbonsall.com. 

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home, Charleston, has been entrusted with the arrangements.