Gillian Paterson Obituary (1926 - 2024)

Gillian Paterson Gillian Paterson, age 98, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 3, 2024 at Cottonwood Estates in Alpharetta, Georgia. Gillian was born on March 4, 1926 in Clapham Common, London, England to Leslie Louis Moore and Gladys Moore. She had an older brother, Frank, and spent her early years in London, graduating from an all girls school, Croyden High, in 1940 and remained in London when WWII with Germany broke out in 1939. Gillian went on to college and graduated from Berridge House Domestic Science College in Bournemouth, England in 1945. It was in Bournemouth that she met her future husband, David Paterson Jr, in May of 1945. David was recovering in a Red Cross hotel after spending the last year of the war in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp. They met on the beach when he offered her his raincoat when it started raining. David shortly thereafter returned to the United States, but corresponded with Gillian for over 3 years until they were married on August 21, 1948. David was in the US Air Force and the following years took him and his family all over the US, Japan and Turkey. Bruce, Daniel, Mark, and Jane were born along the way and Gillian was very proud of all of them. While David was in the service, Gillian spent many years volunteering for the Red Cross at various assignments. When David retired to Cape Coral, Florida in 1973 Gillian then spent 37 years as a volunteer in the Cape Coral Hospital maternity ward. In 2013 she moved to Cottonwood Estates in Georgia to be closer to family. She volunteered as an ambassador to new residents for 8 years, and made many friends while at Cottonwood. She was loved by all and a true inspiration to her family and everyone who met her. Gillian is survived by her 4 children, 4 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Family, friends, and others whose lives she touched are invited to a memorial in her honor at Cottonwood Estates on June 18, 2024 at 11am. She will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with her husband David at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Red Cross, the Cape Coral Hospital in Lee County Florida or to Meals by Grace in Alpharetta Georgia. Condolences may be expressed at www.mcdonaldandson.com. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886.9899