Sally Patterson
After a 20 month battle with ALS, Sally Patterson, 64, of Chicago, died peacefully in her home on December 31, 2014 with her husband of 42 years, Mike, holding her hand. She was the loving mother of Ben (Laura) Patterson and Kate Patterson and precious grandma of two year old Miles Logan Patterson, all of Chicago.
Sally was the Director of Marketing Communications for Brookfield Global Relocation Services.
She loved living in a South Loop high rise and enjoying all that that offered including the Lake Michigan lakefront, Grant and Millennium Parks, most especially The Grant Park Music Festival. She had scores of dear friends with whom she shared a deep mutual love. Sally was adventurous, loved to travel and attend the Symphony, Opera and White Sox games.
She met Mike, the love her life, best friend and co-conspirator, while they were students at SIU. Ben, Kate and Laura gave her so much joy and she was absolutely smitten with her grandson, Miles.
Following her death there was no service or memorial of any kind. Instead, per Sally's instructions, friends gathered to remember and celebrate her life at one of her favorite neighborhood joints, Flo & Santos on South Wabash in Chicago. Her favorite pizza, forever to be known as "The Sally", was enjoyed by all while offering many toasts to the most amazing woman we ever knew.
Following the donation of her organs to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to aid in ALS research and then cremation, her ashes were placed in Lake Michigan with a clear view of the condo that she and Mike shared. And from that place, they will be able to look in on the other whenever the mood strikes them.
As that awful disease was taking her piece by piece, her close friend asked her if she was afraid to die. She answered "No, I'm not afraid. I'm sad that I'll miss the wonderful life that I have and hoped to have for years to come."
Instead of memorials or donations to charity, Sally just asked that we remember her by doing some unexpected, nice and generous thing for a fellow human being.