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Cherished Oakland Teacher Margie Mayfield, 82

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Margie Mayfield, a beloved Oakland educator,  died on June 26. She was 82.

Mrs. Mayfield started her 30-year Oakland teaching career at Markham Elementary School in 1967. She was there when the Black Panther Party started its free breakfast program and when Oakland had its first African American superintendent, Marcus Foster.

“Mrs. Mayfield” was a fixture in room 14, teaching two generations of first- and second-graders how to read, write, do math and become critical thinkers. Not only was her classroom a special place for her students, but also her friends. It was the place they came before school started, during lunchtime and sometimes after school for fellowship and to socialize. She served as the building representative for the Oakland Education Association.

Born on June 19, 1935, she spent her early years in Monroe, Louisiana.  After graduating from Grambling in 1956, she taught first grade at George Washington Carver K-8 in Monroe. By 1965 she joined her husband in San Francisco. In 1966, they had their only child, Kimberly LaShawn Mayfield (Lynch). Kimberly grew up to graduate from UC Santa Barbara and teach in the Oakland schools, using much of her mother’s teaching wisdom to help her students.

She currently served as Education Department chair at Holy Names University.

Mrs. Mayfield enjoyed reading, talking on the phone and listening to the Blues. She was also a passionate sports fan who followed players’ careers from college to the pros. The most joyous time for Mrs. Mayfield and her husband, Aubrey, was spending time with their grandson Joshua Aubrey Zachariah Mayfield Lynch. They were the embodiment of proud grandparents.

Margie Mayfield was known for her charisma, warmth, quick wit and sense of humor. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband of 58 years, Aubrey Mayfield; daughter, Kimberly Mayfield Lynch; son-in -law Joseph Lynch; grandson, Joshua Lynch; sister, Brenda Gary; sister-in-law, Avenal Gary, and many nieces, nephews, and close friends.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

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William "Bill" Patterson, 94. Photo courtesy of the Patterson family.

William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.

He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.

Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.

Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.

Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.

He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.

A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.

His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.

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