L. Brooks Patterson Was A Complicated Man Who Reflected A Conflicted Region
L. Brooks Patterson, who died Saturday at age 80 at his home in Independence Township, was one of the Detroit area's most consequential and controversial figures in local politics.
To some, he represents the ascendancy of an economic powerhouse, in Oakland County, and the very pinnacle of good governance and fiscal stewardship. But he's also a key player in the region's ugly racial divides, through his bitter rivalry with former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young and his history as an attorney fighting bussing and school integration in the 1970s.
Patterson was diagnosed earlier this year with…
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