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David Patten passed away unexpectedly at his home in Novato CA on July 20, 2022. David was born in the York Center Cooperative, an intentional community that was a safe haven for mixed race and mixed culture families, just outside of Chicago, IL. He was the second child of Sheldon (Pat) and Elleva Patten. He was always fascinated with electronics, and started his career in telecommunications working with microwave radio transceiver technology, moving on to telephone and mainframe computers, and eventually became a technical support engineer with a successful consulting business. Because of his being learning disabled and autistic, he used his unique perspective to troubleshoot complex telecommunication problems; colleagues often said that he could "fix what no one else could." His unusual aptitude at analyzing and understanding systems of all kinds extended beyond telecommunications, and included offering valuable feedback to those in education and speech-language pathology. He worked in the SF Bay Area, where he married and raised his two children. He also put his wife, Maria, through medical school. Later in life, he moved to Hawaii and put his energy and passion into writing his memoir, "Dummy," in which he shared his difficulty with being unable to read and write in a world where reading was becoming more and more important as a survival skill. He told the story of how he overcame obstacles, prejudices, and misconceptions others have about people with learning disabilities, and found his own way, successfully. He hoped to open people's eyes to what it was like to live with disabilities, and to give empathy and hope to others in similar circumstances. The memoir was so effective in putting readers inside his experience of the world that today it is better informing professionals who work with autistic adults. David's wide interests ranged from love of children and animals, delight in all things electronic, to psychology and real-world philosophy. He was devoted to his wife, Maria, and to his children and grandchildren. Those who knew him loved him for his honesty, humor, empathy, and generosity of spirit.
David was preceded in death by his father Sheldon, mother Elleva, and older brother Terry. He leaves behind his wife Maria, son Abel (Michelle, granddaughter Myla), daughter Iomi (Matt, granddaughter Olive). He is also survived by his brother, Jonathan (Phoebe, nieces Cara and Rachel), as well as Terry's son Michael (Megan).
