Bill Patrick

Bill Patrick of Lexington died at the University of Kentucky Hospital Markey Cancer Center on Tuesday morning October 4, 2022. He was 66 years old. His death came after a six month courageous battle with an inoperable glioblastoma brain tumor. Bill was the first of two children born to Wayne and Betty Atchison Patrick in Powell County Kentucky on October 17, 1955. He arrived at Waltersville near the Red River not far from Clay City. He attended Clay City Elementary and Powell County High School. Afterwards, Bill attended Eastern Kentucky University. It was during this time that Bill accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and would become a youth pastor serving part-time with a Church of God in Lexington.  This service led to him assuming the pastoral duties at the Stanton First Church of God. During his time at Eastern, Bill became involved in the Kentucky Young Democrats organization. Bill had developed an abiding interest in politics along-side his Uncle and Powell County Democrat Chairman Henry Bascum “Bass” Patrick.  Through the connections of his Uncle Bass, Bill secured a position as a legislative aide to then State Senator, Walter Strong.  The position gave him first-hand experience to understand the mechanics to being successful in politics. With his considerable political skill and congenial personality, Bill soon became recognized as a talented and trusted leader. In 1977 he was elected State President of the Young Democrats. During this same time, Bill established an insurance agency in Clay City. In 1982 in his first race for county office, Bill stunned the local political establishment with an upset victory over a popular veteran incumbent County Judge Executive. At age 26, Bill became the youngest County Judge at that time in Kentucky history. He was re-elected by a large margin in 1986. In his two terms as County Judge, he was known for his aggressive leadership in the areas of economic development, job creation, tourism and expanding the service area for treated drinking water. “Everybody deserves clean drinking water. The availability of clean water is essential to good public health” he would proclaim.  Following the 1987 Gubernatorial election, newly elected Governor Wallace Wilkinson, who Bill had backed, appointed him Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Local Government. For a period during the Wilkinson administration, Bill also served as State Chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party.  As Chairman he delivered victories with Democratic candidates in local offices and in state legislative offices. After the Wilkinson administration Bill established a successful public affairs and lobbying business.  Later he served in subsequent administrations working in a number of different administrative positions in the Executive Branch of Kentucky State Government. This was followed by his being selected to serve as Executive Director of the Kentucky County Attorney’s Association, a position he excelled at for more than a decade. At his retirement two years ago, Bill was lauded by the people he worked with for his integrity, innovations, and faithful service. Since retiring and before his illness, Bill and Tina had begun traveling and devoting themselves to their family’s real estate interests in Powell County. Just a few weeks before his passing, Bill was presented his 21-year Alcoholics Anonymous Medallion by his sponsor Charlie Younger. On August 28, 2001 Bill entered Ten Broeck Hospital in Louisville for treatment of his alcohol addiction.  Two years later Bill wrote in a letter to his parents, “I will never forget those days and that deep sense of hopelessness, bewilderment, and despair. I will never forget looking around that hospital, perplexed, and baffled, twenty years earlier a young, aspiring newly elected County Judge and seeing myself in that dark dejected situation. Getting to a place of serious honesty and confirming my desperate suffering from alcoholism, was not an easy step for me. I had lived in absolute denial for too many years.”  He added, “I thank God every day that I found hope and a program of recovery.” . . .  “It has been only through the AA program and God’s grace . . .”   Bill continued to verbalize his gratitude for God’s grace in his life until it ended. Bill is preceded in death by his parents Wayne and Betty Atchison Patrick; his brother-in-law J.C. Hall and his father-in-law Willard Rogers. He is survived by his devoted wife Tina Goad Patrick; his son, William Jacob “Jake” Patrick of Lexington, a daughter, Whitney (Alanna Cline)  Brewer of Jeffersonville, Indiana; a son Corey (Anne Kaitlyn) Goad of Lexington and a sister Connie Patrick Hall of Lexington. Funeral services with David Fields and Dale Emmons officiating with eulogies being delivered by John Kelly and Bobby Russell will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. at Hearne Funeral Home, 125 West College Avenue, Stanton, Kentucky. Visitation will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022 from 5:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. at the funeral home as well. Burial will be conducted at the Clay City – Eaton Cemetery with James Anderson, Kevin Atkins, Drew Haddix, John Kelly, Keith Rogers, Matt Scott and Mike Scott serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Bob Treadway, Dale Emmons, Bobby Russell, Mike Foster, Mike O’Connell, UK Hospital Oncology Nursing Staff, fellow AA members, Jason Baird, Robert Crowe, Charlie Younger, Jim Codel, Kent Clark, Jeremy Logsdon, Steve Alvey, Martin Hatfield, Kevin Cockrell, Alan George, Robert King, Charlie Horton, Jerry Lundergan, Bob McQueen, Delbert Brown, Steve Johnson, Richard Lane, Ralph Hacker, Danny Briscoe, Tom Weddle, Ray Jones, Mac Johns, Joe Ross, Danny Martin, Gale and Judy Means, Polly Billings, and Judy Hale. Hearne Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.