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Funeral held for L. Brooks Patterson

L. Brooks Patterson gives State of Oakland County address
Posted at 8:02 PM, Aug 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-15 17:20:54-04

TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Family and friends gathered at Woodside Bible Church in Troy to say goodbye to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

Watch the funeral below.

Patterson died at the age of 80 on Aug. 30 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Patterson began his public service to Oakland County more than 40 years ago. He served as Oakland County Prosecutor for 16 years and was elected as executive in 1992, where he served until his death.

During his leadership in Oakland County, the county has been able to maintain its AAA bond rating, and it has been ranked among the best counties in both the state and the country.

According to the county website, Brooks' leadership has also attracted billions in private investment and the county's reach extends across the globe to more than 1,000 firms in nearly 40 countries that operate inside the county borders.

In September 2018, Standard & Poor's Global Ratings (S&P) reaffirmed the county's AAA bond rating, saying the county has a "very strong economy, very strong management," and much more.

"I think we're going to redesign Oakland County's logo to look like Superman's 'S,' only in this instance it'll stand for 'strong,'" Patterson said in a statement at the time. "Oakland County clearly is doing everything right from attracting jobs from outside MIchigan to balancing multi-year budgets while maintaining low taxes."