- Date Of Birth: October 13, 1933
- Date Of Death: November 28, 2021
- City: Okeechobee
- State: Florida
Johnnie Henry Patent, age 88 of Okeechobee, FL, passed away on Sunday, November 28, 2021. He was born on October 13, 1933, the thirteenth child of German immigrants, the late Johnna Patent and Marie Hickey Patent.
Johnnie was born and raised on the family farm in Randolph, NE. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1952 and served three years, with active duty in Korea from April 1953 to September 1954. He met Geraldine (Jerry) Foley, his wife of 62 years, while stationed near Washington D.C. and they were married July 2, 1955.
Johnnie, Jerry, and their daughter Sharon, relocated to Miami, FL, in 1957, where Johnnie worked in the building industry, rising to General Contractor and overseeing the construction of roughly 150 area homes. In 1961, he went into the insurance business and attended night school for 5 years to earn his GED. Johnnie opened Patent Insurance Agency in 1967 which he owned and operated until 1986 when he sold the business and moved to Okeechobee, FL, where he continued to sell insurance.
While in Miami, Johnnie was very active in the Kiwanis Club and started the first High School Key Club in Dade County. In Okeechobee, he served three separate terms as Commander of the Buckhead Ridge VFW Post 9528 for a total of six years and was a lifetime member. Johnnie oversaw the construction of the post building and was very active in sponsoring the local Cub Scout troop and other charitable organizations. He was also a member of Moose Lodge 2417 where he served as Administrator and Treasure. Johnnie was a member of the American Legion Post 224 and AMVETS Club 2002.
Johnnie is preceded in death by his wife, Jerry Patent, and all but one sister, Loretta Hahn of Coleridge, NE. He is survived by his daughter, Sharon and her husband, Dan Derbyshire of Shallotte, NC; his granddaughter, Janelle, her husband, Eric Branoff; two great-grandchildren, Daniel and Madilynn of Fuquay Varina, NC; his grandson, Bryant Derbyshire, and his wife, Emmie of Denver, CO; and many nieces and nephews.
