Esther Patterson

Esther Marie Patterson-King, a beloved community advocate and dedicated public servant passed away on May 29, 2024, in Albany, NY. Born on January 26, 1960, in Queens, NY, and proudly raised in Brooklyn, Esther relocated to Albany in 1991. 

Esther’s life and career were a testament to service, compassion, and unwavering dedication to her community and family. She was loving, selfless, unapologetic, larger than life, and loved calling someone a “cornball” when they deserved it. 

Esther's career clearly demonstrates her dedication to helping others. Her most recent job was with the Alliance for Positive Health, where she led multiple programs, including a women's group for Black women with histories of trauma. Before this, Esther held positions at community impact organizations like the Albany Police Athletic League (PAL), Baby Institute, and the Boys and Girls Club of Albany. She also held positions at entities such as Pratt Institute, Albany City School District, Mediation Matters, Holt House, the Mental Health Association, and the Albany City Department of Labor.

Esther's enduring legacy is also felt through her work with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, where she founded the S.T.A.R.S. Peer Educators program in 1997. S.T.A.R.S. (Seriously Talking About Responsible Sex) is a high school peer education program where students educate their peers, family, and community about sexual and reproductive health and rights, and connect people to Planned Parenthood services. Her work with S.T.A.R.S. contributed to a drastic decrease in teen pregnancy rates in Albany County. Esther was nominated to accept the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Coalition and Community Partner Award at their 90th Anniversary event on June 13th, 2024. The family will accept the award in her honor. 

Throughout her career, Esther was passionately involved in several organizations. She served on the Albany Public Library Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2016– the only public office she sought because libraries had been her sanctuary since childhood. She was also a powerful advocate for birth justice and supporting young mothers. For over 25 years, Esther worked at Community Maternity Services, significantly impacting the lives of young mothers and their children. She spent countless hours staffing both day and night shifts, in addition to her full-time job, and standing by the bedside of dozens of teenagers as they crossed the threshold into motherhood. As the board co-chair for BirthNet, an organization dedicated to eliminating birth outcome disparities, Esther used her experience as a Community Doula (having assisted in over 80 births) to advocate for informed, respectful, and low-stress pregnancy experiences. This work has significantly contributed to the improvement of birth outcomes for people across the state of New York– including helping prevent the closure of the only maternity ward in all of Rensselaer County, Burdett Birthing Center; contributing to the successful campaign for New York State doula Medicaid coverage; and much more. 

A lover of the arts, Esther enjoyed reading, traveling, finding a great deal while shopping, and capturing life’s precious moments through photos. She and Henry regularly attended theater productions, live music, poetry readings, art galleries, lectures, photo exhibits, and of course, the Saratoga Jazz Festival. Esther’s warm presence– with her bright smile, contagious laugh, and endless supply of energy– was a staple at community events throughout the Capital Region and beyond, from Pride celebrations to the Tulip Festival to the New York State AIDS memorial quilt display.

Esther was a proud member of Macedonia Baptist Church in Albany, where she spent years supporting the Youth Ministry. She directed plays, chaperoned events, and played a significant role in various church activities. 

Esther is survived by her loving husband, Henry King; her children, Idris Littman and Arielle V. King; and her grandson, Syair Littman, who was the light of her life. She is also survived by her mother, Mary Patterson; her older sister, Catherine Patterson (Kenneth) and baby sister-in-love, Cathy Collymore (Richard); her brothers, Daleel Muhummad, Kevin Patterson (Audrey, late), and Keith Patterson (Michelle); her first cousins Debra Pace (Jerry), Sheila Baxter, Karen Snead Johnson, John Snead Jr., Kenneth Snead, and their families; her nephews, Kawan, Latik, Jassiem, Craig Jr., Ishan, Daquan, Dakari, Daiyaun, and MarKeith; her nieces, Lauren and Kristina; and a host of great-nephews and great-nieces, including Aaliyah Patterson. Esther was predeceased by her father, Charles Patterson, and her younger brother, Craig Patterson. 

Esther is also survived by the Perkins family, who she loved like her own due to the friendship she developed at 13 with Sandra Ophelia Perkins. This friendship led to Sandra becoming Idris’s godmother, Esther becoming Sandra’s daughter Nyisha’s godmother, and Nyisha becoming Arielle’s godmother. Nyisha Holliday, her husband Phillip, and their children Kamari, Josiah, and Imani meant the world to Esther. 

Esther's life was enriched by dear friends and loved ones, including her best friend for nearly 60 years, Debora Payton-McDaniel; numerous other cherished friends who became like family, including Christine Robinson-Cooley (Desmond) and her godson, Desmond Jr.; her “Sistah-Friends” like Dawn Patterson, Lynn Viear, Sharine Ziegler, and Beverly Lanier; plus her Brooklyn family, numerous work colleagues, church family, and the OLG. 

Esther’s life was a beacon of hope, love, and dedication. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched, the programs she created, and the babies she helped bring into the world. 

The memorial service for Esther Marie Patterson-King will be held at the Palace Theater in Albany on Friday, June 14th, 2024. Doors will open at 10 AM, with the service beginning at 11 AM. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the family via MealTrain or you can contribute to the Esther Patterson Birth Equity Fund via Venmo @BirthNetNY.

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