James H. "Jim" Patterson, age 88, of Carol Stream, IL and formerly of Los Alamos, NM, Lombard, IL, and Ames, IA, passed into the presence of the Lord on Thursday, February 26, 2009. Jim was born in Kansas City, MO on January 22, 1921 and grew up in Omaha, NE, the eldest of three brothers.

Jim graduated from the University of Omaha with a degree in Chemistry in 1943. He then worked on a "war project" in the Yukon Territory, testing materials used in making the airstrips along the AL-CAN Highway. Later that year he took a position at Iowa State University, working on another war project, the Manhattan Project. On May 24, 1944 he married Jane Lambert in Omaha, NE. Jim received his PhD in Chemistry from Iowa State University in 1950. He moved to Wheaton, IL and later Lombard, working at Argonne National Laboratory. The Surveyor7, a project that took soil samples from the moon prior to the manned landings, was one of Jim's special projects. In 1972, he moved to Los Alamos, NM and was employed by Los Alamos National Laboratory. He resided in New Mexico for 35 years, and recently relocated to Carol Stream, IL.

Jim loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Being a man of faith, he devoted his life to the study of the Bible, and was a mentor to many. Jim retired from work at the laboratory in New Mexico to become the New Mexico director of the Set Free Prison Ministry, providing Bibles and Bible study materials for inmates throughout New Mexico. Jim headed up this ministry for more than 20 years. In addition, Jim and his wife Jane were integrally involved in missions, supporting and entertaining countless missionaries in their home.

He is survived by his brother, John; his children, Mary Jean (Louis) Suriano, Roger (Betty) Patterson, Elisabeth (Neil) Osborn, Daniel (Kathy) Patterson, Barbara (Dr. Peter) Chang; 12 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane; his parents, Helena and James Price Patterson; and his brother, Paul.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2009, from 3-7 P.M. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., in Wheaton, IL. A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 2, 2009 at 10:30 A.M. at Lombard Gospel Chapel, 369 N. Stewart Ave., in Lombard, IL. The family will receive guests before the funeral at 10:00 A.M. Interment will be at Guaje Pines Cemetery in Los Alamos, NM, next to his beloved wife, Jane.

Memorials may be directed to Set Free Prison Ministries, Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, IA.