Evelyn Patterson was born on July 5, 1929 in Kinston, North Carolina located in Lenoir County to loving parents Bruce and Phoebe Patterson.  As a young girl, she worked diligently along with her 7 brothers and 5 sisters on their family farm before attending school each day. 

 

In the late 1940’s, she graduated from Adkin High School in Kinston, N.C.  In 1951, she graduated from Saint Augustine College of Nursing in Raleigh, N.C. where she received an Associate of Science degree as well as trained at the Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tuskegee, Alabama.  Later in 1951, she moved to Dean Street, Brooklyn, N.Y., married Mr. Fountain T. Jones (deceased) also from Kinston, N.C. and later years they had 2 children son, Fountain Jr. and daughter, Elwarda Deborrah.

 

In 1959, Evelyn began her nursing professional career at Brooklyn Cumberland Medical Center as Head Nurse/Assistant Supervisor in Brooklyn, N.Y.  In 1968, Evelyn, Fountain Sr. and their family moved to 209th Place, Queens Village, N.Y. and she eventually accepted a position at the New York State Board of Education, Forest Hills Adult Division as a Nursing Instructor.  In 1970, Evelyn moved on to work at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village, N.Y. as a Psychiatric Nurse and Education/Training Instructor. 

 

In 1987, she worked as a Health Policies and Procedures Manager at Rockaway Care Center in Far Rockaway, N.Y.  After 18 years at Creedmoor and a recently obtained Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was eager to expand her nursing career even further and was professionally recruited in 1988 as a Health Care Surveyor for the New York State Dept. of Health in New York City where she offered many years of service.

 

A few years later, Evelyn remarried Mr. James (Jimmy) Culpepper (deceased) from Miami, Florida.  In the 1990’s, as she started a new life with Jimmy, Evelyn wanted to be closer to home and was offered a position as a In-Service Director at the Queens Nassau Rehabilitation Nursing Center in Far Rockaway, N.Y.  where she educated and helped many achieve their nursing goals and later respectfully retired in 2007.

 

Evelyn’s nursing career provided her with expert skills, proficiency, knowledge, and implementation in areas such as Medical-Surgical units, Emergency rooms, Pediatrics Care, Intensive Coronary Care, Recovery Care, Medical Intensive Care, Psychiatric Care, Health-related performance site reviews, Compliance policies of Federal and State regulations, Geriatric skilled nursing care, Patient care assessments/treatments as well as performed Administrative/Clinical/Supervisory duties and she also acquired multiple certifications thru out her commendable career.

 

Evelyn was also an active member for many years with St. Augustine and St. Joseph’s College Alumni Associations.  She also was a member/sister of the Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.; Iota Chi Chapter located in Bronx, N.Y., a humanitarian organization of nurses where she served on fund raising and scholarship committees.  Also, she was a member of other organizations such as the National Urban League and the Rainbow Operation Push Coalition.

 

Evelyn was always very concerned and active in her community.  She often initiated petitions’ regarding improvements in her community. She also served on the Advisory Board for the 11th Senatorial District of Queens Village, N.Y.

 

Evelyn, Ma, Grandma, Ma Jones, Jonesie, Aunt Evelyn, Ms. Jones, as she was called by her family, friends, and co-workers was an extraordinary dynamic woman who was loved and highly respected by many for her generosity, her passionate work ethics, her feistiness, her determination, her boldness, her advice/opinions, her motivating others, her genuine love for others, her stylish fashionable ways, and her bountiful home hospitality.

 

Evelyn is survived by son Fountain Jr., daughter Elwarda Deborrah, daughter-in-law Karen, granddaughter Faith, grandsons Randall, Marshall, Winthrop, her sisters Delores and Hilda and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors.