Jeanne Lillig-Patterson

Jeanne Lillig-Patterson — a 2004 candidate for Congress, co-founder of First Hand Foundation, and wife of the late Neal Patterson, a Cerner co-founder and its CEO — died Monday September 4 2017 at the age of 59. Her death comes less than two months after her husband’s, who died in early July at age 67. The First Hand Foundation aims to provide access to health care to children in the U.S. and in other countries. Lillig-Patterson ran as the Republican candidate for Congress in 2004, but she was defeated in the general election by former Kansas City mayor Emanuel Cleaver, who ran as a Democrat and continues to hold the seat. Lillig-Patterson was the seventh person hired by the medical software company Patterson, Group, Illig & Associates in 1981. She was credited with helping rename the company Cerner in 1984 and originated the roles of director of marketing and director of client services. The Pattersons had been married nearly 30 years before his death. They had two children together, Cortney and Will Patterson, as well as children Clay Patterson and Lindsey Patterson Smith from Neal Patterson’s prior marriage.