January 2, 1958 — July 30, 2023
Stephen Merrell Jull-Patterson was born in Chicago on January 2, 1958. He died at age 65 on July 30, 2023 in Sacramento, California from complications of neck cancer and pneumonia. He moved to New York City in 1981, where he performed with the First Amendment Improvisation Troupe and wrote and performed in his own one-man shows. In 2001, Stephen moved to Oceanside, California with his partner James DeMaiolo and their son Brandon DeMaiolo Patterson. Two years later, Stephen and Brandon moved to Alameda, California, adding to their family Stephen's nieces and nephew TC Smith, Brittany Reed, and Marcus Reed-Quinn.
It was in Alameda that David Jull-Johnson joined the family, and Stephen and David married in 2005 and changed their last names to Jull-Patterson. The six-member family settled into life with their grandmothers, gathering each week for a boisterous and humor-filled Sunday dinner.
Stephen and David moved to Woodland, California in 2017 to take care of David's mother. Stephen's greatest joys remained, making his Ma laugh and spending time with David sharing their lives and their deep abiding love for each other.
Stephen is survived by his mother Katheryn L. Patterson; sister Tiffany Reed, husband David; brother-in-law Michael Johnson; daughters TC (Valentina) and Brittany, son Marcus; daughter-of-the-heart Jazmin NeVille (Garrett); and grandchildren Josiah and Zariah Anderson. He was predeceased by his grandparents, father, parents-in-law, two brothers, a sister, and his beloved son Brandon. Information about the memorial service is available through W. F. Gormley & Sons Funeral Chapel in Sacramento.
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