- Date Of Birth: September 22, 1942
- Date Of Death: March 4, 2021
- State: Georgia
Rodney Veeley VanPatten was born in Opelika, Alabama, on September 22, 1942, the son of Belle and Wilton Veeley (Bill) VanPatten.
He moved with his parents to Newnan in the late 1950’s and graduated from Newnan High in 1960. Rodney attended the University of Georgia, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order, and graduated from Georgia State University. On December 29, 1964, he married Nan Shell VanPatten, also of Newnan, at First Baptist Church. After they married, they moved to Atlanta, where they lived for 35 years. Rodney began his career at Georgia Power and Southern Company and then became self-employed, working with Central Electric in South Carolina for over twenty-five years. Nan and Rodney moved back to Newnan in the early 2000’s. Rodney was a life-long fan of golf, working to perfect his game on the Newnan Country Club course whenever he had a free morning or afternoon. His friends and family remember his love of the game and dedication to finding his swing.
Rodney is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nan, along with their daughter, Seay VanPatten Poulakos (and husband Jim Poulakos) and granddaughters, Mary Patten and Rees of Newnan; son, Vee VanPatten (and wife Emmie VanPatten) of Newnan; brother-in-law, Rhodes Shell of Newnan; niece, Blake Shell of Portland, Oregon; and niece, Katherine Shell (and husband Billy Hughes) of Washington, DC.
