Honoring Cece & Bill Pattison
During my first week of Inn ownership, a neighbor introduced himself and asked if I had met Cece Pattison, “the mayor of Andover.” I made a mental note to meet her and drove by the Pattison Farm approximately 3000 times while building my business, never stopping to greet Cece. When we finally met, I wish I could have turned back time – she is, as Alan described her, “a force.”
In 1954, Henry & Mary Pattison bought the 240 acre Blind Brook Farm as a gathering place for their four sons and their growing families. Bill, a successful advertising executive, and Cece, an accomplished equestrian, spent a lot of time at Blind Brook Farm as a new family– they rebuilt the horse barn, fenced in fields, and constructed a chicken coop. Cece spent many hours exploring the extensive wooded riding trails that still exist today as part of Kittatinny Valley State Park and the Sussex Branch Trail.
Bill and Cece made Blind Brook Farm their permanent home in 1967. Along with their three children – Jack, David, and Kathy – they further developed the farm, adding more horses, opening stalls to boarding horses, raising chickens, introducing a flock of sheep and raising Black Angus cattle. Wanting to create meaningful experiences for her children, Cece found a small 9-member 4-H Club dedicated to raising sheep. When the club’s leader moved out of the area, Cece led the club for over 20 years. Under her leadership, the Sussex Shepherds 4-H Club grew to over 80 members, many of whom remained active from age 9 through 19.
Blind Brook Farm hosted garden parties benefiting Newton Memorial Hospital, business retreats for Bill’s clients at Ogilvy & Mather, and countless 4-H meetings and events. When their children attended college, Bill and Cece opened the Newton True Value Hardware store (1980) — a natural extension of Bill’s love for tools, construction, and maintaining the Farm. Cece continued her extensive volunteer work: Newton Memorial Hospital (25 years as a Board member, three years as Head of the Board, and founding member of the Beehive Thrift Store); a founding member of the United Way of Sussex County, member of the Andover Township Land Use Board (four years); member of the Sussex County Agricultural Committee; and a member of the Sussex Country Farm + Horse Show Association Board for 40 years.
Bill was also active in the Sussex County community, serving as a member of the Newton Rotary, president of the Andover Township Board of Education, and trustee and president of the Newton Hospital. After Bill passed away in 2014, Cece continued to live at and manage Blind Brook Farm alongside her son, David. They provided pasture and boarding for up to nine horses while also raising sheep and chickens.
When my neighbor told me that Cece was “a force,” I thought he meant that she knows how to get things done. And Cece certainly got many things done in Sussex County, in addition to co-managing the farm and raising three children. But her “force” is so much broader and deeper – Cece has a way of drawing people to her and demonstrates a keen interest in others. She cares deeply about the Sussex County community and put her passion for doing good into concrete action. She has maintained a positive attitude throughout the years, has kept physically active, and is forward thinking. At age 92, Cece is preparing to move to a local assisted living facility – but watch out staff and residents! This petite dynamo will know everyone’s names within the week, introduce people to each other, lead the social action committee, create and engage in activities, and teach her peers to have “all hands on deck,” just as she and Bill taught their children and much of the Sussex County community.