Isabel Patterson; Long Beach Philanthropist, Civic Leader

Isabel Patterson, 88, Long Beach educator, real estate agent and philanthropist. Known as “the yellow rose of Texas” for her blond hair and birthplace, Patterson in middle age became one of the first graduates of the then-new Cal State Long Beach in 1951. She began her career as an elementary schoolteacher but then switched to real estate in the Belmont Shore area. Financially successful, she became a major donor, providing more than $3 million in scholarships and other funds for Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach, which named its Isabel Patterson Child Development Center in her honor. She also worked as a fund-raiser for such groups as the Long Beach Community Improvement League to aid minorities and the elderly. Patterson served eight years on the Long Beach Planning Commission and was on the boards of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, YMCA and St. Mary Medical Center. Rep. Steve Horn of Long Beach, who helped win her funding for the Cal State children’s center, noted that her death was “overshadowed by the legacy of hope and promise” that she provided for young people. On Wednesday in Long Beach of a heart attack.