On March 10 at Decatur Presbyterian Church, I delivered H.G. Pattillo’s eulogy. In research for my 96-year-old friend’s service, I came across this column that was first published on Jan. 9, 2013. HGP taught me so much. He left an indelible mark on everything, every place and every life he touched. To have known him was a blessing and an inspiration.
H.G. (Pat) Pattillo introduced me to places on the globe to where I had never been. A favorite destination was his beachfront ranch in Costa Rica. A typical afternoon horseback ride would include climbing up a flattop water tower to watch the orange panorama of a Pacific sunset. Next would come a race back to dinner at Hacienda Pinilla. As this photo by his son-in-law Glenn Cohen shows, HGP lived up to his motto: “Ride hard or eat my dust.”
Years ago, a reporter was peppering Henry Ford with questions. Repeatedly, the automotive pioneer replied, “I don’t know.”
Frustrated, the journalist asked, ?...
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